Homeschooling, Storytelling, and the Heart of Real Life

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As a homeschooling mom who’s been doing this for over three decades, I know the wild balancing act of living in two very different—but equally real—worlds.

There’s my everyday life: homeschooling my last three children, taking care of my family, staying connected with my adult kids and grandkids, coaching others toward health, and checking in on my aging parents and grandparents. It’s busy. It’s full. It’s real.

Then there’s the world I write in—stories that take place in Nazi-occupied Europe, the Spanish Civil War, or among the Amish countryside. It’s not uncommon for me to be juggling both worlds in a single afternoon.

It might sound like:

“Yes, I’ll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… just let me land this WWII bomber first.”

Sound familiar?

Whether you’re writing books or lesson plans, we’re all living in the tension of real life colliding with imagined or hoped-for order. Homeschool parents live in two (or three, or four!) worlds daily. The world of learning, the world of homemaking, the world of parenting, and the world of following Jesus through it all.

And while it’s easy to feel pulled in too many directions, I’ve come to realize something beautiful: all those “worlds” can converge in our hearts when we surrender them to Christ.

Real Life Is Messy—But It’s Also Sacred

One of my dear friends once said after reading my novel From Dust and Ashes, “Tricia, I felt like I was reading your story.”

I laughed at first—I had written about a Nazi officer’s pregnant wife, abandoned and ashamed, whose life is transformed by an American soldier. It didn’t feel like “my” story on the surface.

But then I realized:

• Pregnant at 17? Yes.
• Abandoned? Yes.
• Feeling guilty? Deeply.
• Rescued and transformed by love? Absolutely.

God’s redemption was written into that story, just as it’s been written into mine. That’s why the characters felt real. Because I’ve lived it. And maybe you have, too.

Psalm 102:19–20 says:

“The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”

Homeschooling isn’t a sentence—it’s a calling. But some days it may feel like we’re imprisoned by the grind, the noise, the mess, or the expectations. The good news is this: Jesus comes into those places. He meets us where we are.

How God’s Story Shows Up in Your Homeschool Day

You don’t have to write novels to tell a story. You’re telling one every day—with your patience, with your prayers, with how you respond when the science experiment explodes across the kitchen.

God’s redemptive arc is unfolding in your home.

Your kids are watching, not for perfection, but for presence.

Just like Jesus didn’t rescue us by preaching from afar but by entering our mess, we can follow His example by showing up fully for our families, even when we feel split between lesson plans, laundry, and leftover writing deadlines.

5 Encouragements for the Overwhelmed Homeschool Parent

Here are a few things I’ve learned through the years—truths I still hold on to today:

1. You’re Not Failing If It’s Hard

Homeschooling is hard. Parenting is hard. Faith is hard. But the difficulty doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re doing something worthwhile.

2. The Interruptions ARE the Moments

The sandwich requests, the emotional meltdowns, the curious questions—those are sacred pauses in your child’s story. Lean into them.

3. You Don’t Have to Be in Control to Be a Good Mom

Surrender doesn’t mean giving up. It means inviting Jesus to be in control. He’ll do far more with your yes than you can with your best-laid plans.

4. Stories Can Be Healing—Even If You’re Not a Writer

Read books with your kids that show redemption. Talk about your story with them. Don’t be afraid to share your mistakes and how Jesus changed you.

5. It’s Okay to Rest

God rested. Jesus rested. You can rest, too. Let your home be a place of grace, not just achievement.

Scriptures to Hold Onto

• Psalm 127:1 – “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
• Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
• Isaiah 40:11 – “He gently leads those who have young.”

A Prayer for Your Homeschool Journey

Lord, thank You for the story You are writing in my family. Help me to trust You in the tension of it all—when I feel split between duty and desire, between survival and calling. Teach me to embrace the interruptions, to listen more than I lecture, and to see each moment as a thread in the tapestry You are weaving. Let Your story shine through mine, and may my children know Your love through the way I show up, even in my weakness. Amen.

Let’s Keep the Story Going…

Friend, the world may look at what you’re doing and not see the beauty in it. But I do. Because I know how hard and how holy it is to live a life poured out for others.

So the next time your homeschool day feels pulled in a dozen directions, remember this: you’re not just teaching math—you’re telling the story of grace, redemption, and love.

And that story is worth living.

Additional Resources

Hope and Refreshment for Homeschooling Parents

Need more ideas and advice on homeschooling? Pick up a copy of Homeschool Basics. Receive tried-and-true homeschool advice from veteran homeschooling moms Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover. We dish out practical help on getting started and staying the course.

Homeschool Basics will remind you that the best homeschooling starts with the heart. Packed with ideas to help you push aside your fears and raise kids who will grow to be life-long learners. Kristi and I believe that homeschooling can transform your life, your home, and your family. Mostly, we believe homeschooling can truly prepare your children for the life God’s called them to live. Don’t let doubts hold you back any longer.

Get Homeschool Basics on Amazon Now!