I have so many thoughts and emotions as we approach the senior year for my oldest daughter. For anyone who doesn’t know, God called us to homeschool her when she was a four-year-old about to leave preschool and enter kindergarten. It has been quite a journey, with a very rocky start, and a miraculous near ending! (find out more here and here)

But as I look forward, I can’t help but think about how we were going against the grain 13 years ago, and here we are maybe going against the grain again…

The late years of high school bring about the constant questions about college and future plans. The age-old question, “What will you do with your life??” and, “Where will you go to school?” 

Well, I think about it more like this:

What are you doing with your life?

It isn’t like this is some huge stop and start point. Just like we have been on these past 17 years since my daughter was born, we will continue to point her to Jesus in each moment and say, “What is God calling you to do today…” So yes, the circumstances will change, the school will now be out of the home, the life path will turn, but life is a journey and this is another step in that journey…

We have a different perspective than many these days. Rather than pushing her to strive to climb a “successful” ladder in the world’s eyes, our main goal is that she uses the desires God has given her for His purposes.

Because we are ultimately here to glorify God with our lives. 

So I tell her to pray. Let the Lord continue to guide her just as He has these past 13 years of homeschooling, and we can trust His plans. We have seen firsthand His miraculous work in our lives and I am confident in Him and where He will lead her. His plans are always good.

They may look different from the world’s view of success. They may not include a high-cost education at an Ivy-league college for a high paying job out of school. And that is OK.

Because at the center of those plans is God.

I know my daughter has huge desires in her heart and I know the One who planted them there. He didn’t give her gifts, abilities, and desires to keep for herself, but to use them for good. And ultimately for Him.

So we look to the future and ask, “What will you do with what God has given you?”

We have been an “out of the box” family for many years- homeschooling, running our own businesses, and hobby-farming for ministry. We will continue to use our life for a purpose and for God. We were created for Him and will be used by Him.

And that is the goal of education for my children. That they will know Him, make Him known, and most of all glorify Him in whatever He calls them to do and wherever He calls them to do it. Ivy-league school, community school, or wherever it is…as long as it is His will and she uses the gifts He has given her for a purpose.

Life is short. Too short to be wasted chasing the wind. We want to chase Him. Wherever He leads.

So I look to my daughter and pray she continues to chase Him…and that is what she will do with her life.