It's all in the perspective...

Recently, a friend of mine challenged us (Ryan and myself) on the wisdom in "letting" Emily attend East Carolina. This is a friend that has always been very vocal about the importance of her kids "being light" and therefore attending public school. However, now that her oldest is about to graduate high school, they are looking at a small, conservative Christian college. Let me just say, I am not one of those people who believe there is ONE educational style that fits every child nor every family. The thing that struck me after this conversation is the fact that whatever they feel they are doing is the right thing so therefore, what I am doing must be wrong. I know that homeschooling Emily, specifically since she is the topic of conversation here, was the right thing to do. I felt that through years of dialogue, communication, spiritual, mental and emotional growth fueled her a light that refuses to be dimmed. That is what we prepared her for. We purposefully put her in trying situations, we purposefully looked for ways to stretch her, to grow her and we were there beside her the whole time dialoguing, communicating, working through the processes it took to persevere. She knew it, I knew it, our family knew it. Even when the debate came up as to which college she should attend and descriptions like "liberal" or "party" came up, she informed us "this is what you have been preparing me for" and she is RIGHT! Our intention was never to isolate but to insulate. To be prepared to face a lost and dying world with the hope of Christ. Here is the other catch though, the things/ways we pushed her, the situations we put her in, the ways we looked to stretch her are very different than the ways we will to those siblings younger than her, yet the goal is still the same. To send them out of our nest, out of our home, equipped with the tools to stand firmly, solidly for Christ no matter the circumstances, no matter where/what they do after high school. I would never say we have arrived. I know that Satan is real and loves nothing more than to tempt us with sin, pulling us further and further from truth. However, what I will say is that I am thankful that we have had 18 years to charge the battery that is shining very brightly on the campus of East Carolina University.