This summer during our state homeschool convention, I was honored to moderate a panel discussion on the topic of single-parent homeschoolers. The panel consisted of two moms who are still-single, one mom who is single by way of divorce, and one mom who is a widow.
Each of us found a variety of ways to support our families while remaining stay-at-home moms. The hard part for any single parent desiring to stay at home is our obvious concern for adequate income.
When I embarked on this single-mom, stay-at-home journey, I had two sons. I prayed and asked God for help. Then, I put the word out to all my friends that I was willing to do anything to earn an income as long as it was legal, moral, ethical, and allowed me to stay home with my children. I prayed often.
My income in the early years was pieced together through short-term jobs like delivering flowers on Mother’s Day (oh yes, the irony), stuffing convention folders for a marketing firm, counting words in essay papers as a qualifying filter for entries in an annual scholarship contest, in-home babysitting, freelance editing, and selling items online. My income was never consistent, but the odds-and-ends jobs provided me with what I needed with little time to spare.
This sort of income plan doesn’t inspire a feeling of stability and confidence, but that is exactly how I learned to lean on God for my every need.
He truly is a Father to the fatherless. (Psalm 68:5)
Eventually, the Lord allowed me to gain a more regular, at-home income by teaching online.
While we all come to the table of singleness in different ways and with different skill sets, we can all call upon the same God for His help.
I met a young, divorced mom many years ago. She told me that she felt called by God to homeschool and was grieved because in her mind this divorce meant she couldn’t be a stay-at-home mom. Her parents insisted that she wasn’t strong enough to stay home, homeschool, and earn a living. She admitted that she lacked the faith to step out and answer the homeschool call. I cannot determine if she lacked the faith or whether or not her desire to homeschool was born from God’s prompting, but I certainly was sad that her parents were so discouraging of her desire. She feared stepping out in faith and concluded that it was impossible for her.
God makes it clear to us that nothing is impossible with Him! (Luke 1:37)
The need to find a way to support our family can be viewed as a burden and we can stiffen our neck from bitterness that we have come to this point OR we can view the need as an opportunity to expand our homeschooling adventure by inviting our older children (and even the younger ones, depending on the job opportunity) to join us in earning an income to meet the family budget.
With that said, here is a short list of income ideas we discussed during the single-parent homeschooler workshop:
Online ventures – online teaching at the community college or university level, online ESL, writing, or math tutoring, e-zine creation and publishing, create and deliver homeschool enrichment courses such as music or art, or buy and sell via eBay.
At-home business ventures – pet sitting, daycare, overnight child care for 3rd shift parents, 4-H animal boarding (depending on your acreage), personal assistant, editing, writing, housecleaning, multi-level marketing sales, and lawn care.
I want to encourage every single parent (mom OR dad) to trust that if the Lord has called you to homeschool, then He will lead you. I have no idea HOW you will manage your income, but I am absolutely certain that if God is in, He will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He is your Provider and the Author and Perfecter of your faith. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
If putting your children in a public school needs to happen, remember that God is there with your children, too.
We need not fear. (Isaiah 41:10)
Without fear, but being sober-minded in our call to teach our children well while we have them under our wing, let us daily prepare them to be launched into a sin-sick world.
We are called to be in the world, but not of it! (Romans 12:2)
Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Psalm 68:5
A Father of the fatherless and a Judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Isaiah 41:10
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Photo courtesy of lettersfrombarnabas.com
Copyright © 2014 Deborah Rice, PeaPodFamilyPress
peapodfam.wordpress.com 