Last month, I resigned from my six-year-long teaching position. It was not a quick decision, and over the past several months, I’ve been praying for God’s will to be done in my life. I’m not someone who makes hasty decisions (that’s 100% not my personality). Remember Rory Gilmore making pro/con lists? That’s me.
Still, I felt strongly that the Lord was moving me into a new season of life. I absolutely love teaching. It’s why I chose the profession to begin with. I love educating children (especially little ones) and seeing their faces light up with new-found knowledge. I love their little voices, their stories and jokes that make so little sense that they’re actually funny, and their zest for life.
Leaving our son daily was so difficult. Every family is different, that I know, and every child is, too. Samuel did so well with a babysitter and I’m forever grateful for her wonderful care of him. Even still, I couldn’t help but feel sad that I was away from him so often. I wanted to be there with him, and being at work five days/week plus having meetings, responding to parent phone calls/messages, and more put a huge burden on me. On top of that, work stress and our losing Poppy changed so much for me. I felt God moving me in a new direction and closing many doors in the process.
It’s always frightening to move away from your comfort zone. Whether that be in a long-term career, moving far away, etc. When we leave what’s “normal” for us, we often fear the new normal and what that will bring. While it’s difficult, it can be also be exciting and so rewarding as you discover what God has in store for you.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve opened a private childcare program within our home. As a former homeschooler (for my entire K-12 education), I really wanted to have the ability to homeschool Samuel. The older he’s gotten, the more we see the need for him to have an education at home. Now, I will be able to oversee his education and also help other families with daily childcare. This is an opportunity for me to tie together my favourite things—being home with our son, homeschooling him, & helping other little ones feel safe and loved while they’re away from home.
We’re diving into home learning, spending our days outside and being creative, and enjoying our time together as Samuel learns and grows. I’m thankful that no matter what season we enter in life, our Father is there to guide us. Trusting Him with our lives is a wild adventure, but never one that isn’t planned exactly for us (and for our good).
