A Beautiful Mess written by Jessica Prukner What in the world am I doing? This was my first initial thought seven years ago when my husband and I decided to pull our three children from private Christian school and homeschool them. I am sure many of you have had this very same thought. If not once before, maybe weekly like I do. Many families have found themselves in a position they never imagined they would be in before in the area of education. The world is a different place. There are concerns in this world today that were never even a thought a few years ago. So, here you are! Starting out in the middle of this great adventure called homeschooling. I use the word adventure because it is exactly that! Every day there is something new to discover and learn together. Every week there is an exciting aspect of life to discern through as a family. You get to be parent, teacher, principal, cafeteria and lunch staff, recess overseer, science lab instructor, arts & crafts coordinator, computer technician; the list goes on and on. How do we wear all these hats and do it well? I have learned that I cannot do this alone. I am a recovering OCD perfectionist! I have always had a clean house and a tight rigid schedule until we embarked on this adventure. Sure, my ability to prioritize and keep on a routine has served us well over the years, but I have had to learn to live and let go. I call this column “A Beautiful Mess” because homeschooling is exactly that! This adventure is filled with such beautiful moments, memories and experiences that are absolutely priceless; yet at the same time, they are found in the mess of it all. The mess of doing life together, turning your kitchen into a science lab and your living room into a crafts area. This adventure is messy! Everyone in the same house all day doing the same thing — together! It is bound to get messy! So you may be wondering, how do you do this? How do you enjoy the beautiful, embrace the mess, wear all the hats and keep your joy and sanity? It is actually impossible to do alone. I tried it and I found myself exhausted, burned out, irritated and wanting to quit. I loved my kids and tried my best, but at the end of the day I felt like a failure. The good news is, I learned you don’t have to go on this adventure alone! I found that my strength and my ability was found in Christ. I began to make it a priority to wake up early before my kids and spend time in the Word and God’s presence. The Bible says in Psalm 16:11b, “In your presence is fullness of joy,” and Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I began to memorize verses and pray for my day and my children, and suddenly I found myself making it through my days with more strength, joy and appreciation. Now I am not saying this is a magic fix; what I am saying is you cannot do this without God! If you are homeschooling your children, then He has called you and predestined you for such a time as this and He will not leave you to do it alone. All you need to do is seek Him first, invite Him into your classroom, into your home, and I promise you that He will show up and turn this all into a Beautiful Mess filled with blessings that you will look back on for a lifetime and be thankful for. Jessica Prukner is a homeschooling mom for the past seven years. She does life with her fun-loving and adventurous three kids, Kayley, Zac and Zoey. She has built a successful business with her husband and best friend in life, Ian. Jessica enjoys speaking at parenting partnerships that strive to work together to create successful, thriving homes and businesses. She has had the blessed opportunity to co-host homeschooling bootcamps, marriage retreats and other seminars.
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