Dear Blue,

I recently enrolled my children in a private Christian school after many years of home education. While I do feel a little guilty like I've let them down somehow by discontinuing our homeschooling, I feel this strange sense of peace that I can't describe. Is it okay to feel that way without feeling like I'm glad to be finished with homeschooling? I mean, if I believe in homeschooling so completely (which I do), how can I be feeling so much at peace with the change?

Conflicted in California

Dear Conflicted,

The peace that passes understanding is nothing short of a gift from God. In short, enjoy it rather than spending all your time questioning it.

Perhaps it would help to explore the reasons why you are feeling such peace (besides the obvious that it is a God thing). Are your children happy, well-adjusted, and thriving in their new learning environment? Are the logistics working for you and your family? Does your sense of peace seem to generally permeate everyone in the family? Also, consider the reasons why you made the change. Are those reasons sensible and understood by everyone involved?

Bear in mind that your feeling of peace does not mean you no longer believe in homeschooling. It could be that this is just the next step in your family's journey, and you just might find that the school you have chosen continues to validate the work you have done thus far. My suggestion is to look for the positives and realize that everything that happens is under God's control.

My guess is that the peace you are experiencing is no accident. Embrace it and know that living in the joy and assurance of that peace will only strengthen and grow your family in the best of ways. Your children can learn from your example what it means to live out a willingness to make changes as God leads. One of the most profound facets of that example is the lesson that life for the believer should always be based on the premise of continual asking, seeking, and knocking.

In Him,

Blue