A Bold “Yes” That Changed Everything

There has been so much movement in my life these past couple of weeks, but it wasn’t the merry-go-round type of movement. No, this felt like a computer coming back online, methodically bringing up one process at a time until all systems were up and running. One of the systems that came back online marked the start of my second year of teaching at the local college.

A few days ago, my good sister-friend and I were talking and marveling at how Yah strategically put all the pieces in place over the past few years to lead me to this teaching opportunity. To think, it all started when my son hijacked a business interest meeting that I was attending for an upcoming pitch competition. During this informational session, his only assignment was to sit quietly next to me and color. As the business owners in the room took turns standing and giving their elevator pitches, my son kept tapping me.

He whispered, “I have something I’d like to say.”

Naturally, I tried to quiet him down, but he was persistent. Finally, the meeting host, who, by the way, loved kids, opened the floor for my son to share what he had to say. To my shock and surprise, my son stood up and pitched his business for men’s and boys’ neck ties and bow ties. Why was I shocked? Well, until that moment, my son didn’t have a business, nor did I know he wanted to start one. The room roared in applause for him. My son went on to create his samples and entered the pitch contest, taking 3^rd place overall. He beat me and so many others. It was amazing, and he did a phenomenal job pitching his business. At the end, our business consultant and pitch coach looked at me and said, “Get ready, because you’re going to need to homeschool him soon.”

Wait, what? Homeschool? At the time, I knew nothing about homeschooling. Nevertheless, the seed had been planted. A year later, I got a taste of what homeschool would be like when we did a year of virtual learning during the pandemic. When in-person learning resumed, I thought about making the transition then, but didn’t feel I was ready. Two years passed before I finally felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit, saying it was time. My husband and I prayed consistently for confirmation and talked it out before officially taking the leap of faith.

Now, here we are two years later, sitting in awe as we look back at how God intricately connected all these dots and the blessings that our “yes” unlocked. Once we agreed to homeschool, resource after resource appeared, one of which was the introduction to the director of the homeschool program at our local college. We enrolled our son in the program, and unbeknownst to me, my interview began. Over the course of the school year, every interaction, feedback, and contribution was observed. At the end of the spring semester, I was offered a position as an Adjunct Professor, teaching within the college’s homeschool program. But I wasn’t the only one that was blessed.

Having the world as our classroom has afforded our son a tribe of friends that has evolved into a community for our families. He has early access to some opportunities that might not have been available until later down the line, if at all. We learn intensively, but in ways that cater to our son’s preferred way of learning. Every day is an adventure in some way, form, or fashion. Whether we’re out and about learning or battling the “I don’t feel like it” emotions, every day presents us with the opportunity to learn something new, even if that something is about ourselves.

Homeschooling is not for everyone, and that’s ok. I’m just glad that my husband and I followed God's prompting. Had we not, who knows the incredible experiences and opportunities we would’ve missed. Yes, sometimes it feels like we are building the plane while we’re flying, but in those times, I am reminded to give myself grace. For me, this journey is not about executing everything with perfection. It’s about seeking God for strategy and direction, and doing what He leads me to do to the best of my ability. The rest will work itself out.

Have you made the move that God has been leading you to do? If not, what are you waiting for? Someone is waiting for the blessing of your obedience, and it might just be you.