Help for the Struggling Homeschool Mom When It’s Almost Christmas

I imagine many of you have your tree or trees already decorated and you’re ready for all of the holiday festivities. Some of you may have to travel and some of you may have guests coming to your home. Some of you may not have very many holiday activities planned. This may be a lonely time of year for you. Here is some help for the struggling homeschool mom when it’s almost Christmas.

When Lonely: Help For the Struggling Homeschool Mom

Because my family is small and scattered about the U.S. and my parents and brother-in-law have passed away, holidays are difficult for our family. But we’ve learned in recent years that family consists of more than just the ones you share blood with. More than the ones you’ve married into. Family consists of your church friends and your neighbors and for many of you, your homeschool friends. Because of this, the holidays don’t have to be lonely. We have learned to open our hearts and let people love us when our family isn’t around to do it. We’ve learned to so the same for others.

When Struggling with Financial Difficulties

Perhaps being lonely isn’t a problem for you. Maybe you’re experiencing financial difficulties, as we have in the past and still often do. The holidays may be a time when you withdraw from social gatherings because you don’t have the money to purchase gifts for people. A simple ornament exchange can make you feel quite sad because you have to bring an ornament from your own collection because you can’t afford to purchase one. When your friends want to exchange little trinkets or gift cards, and you can’t even do that, it really stinks.

I want to encourage you to be honest with your friends if this time of year is difficult for you and you are a struggling homeschool mom. If you’re lonely or struggling financially, you should be able to express that honestly to your true friends and they will understand completely. I believe that the enemy wants us to withdraw and he wants us to feel isolated during the holiday season. After all, Christmas is a celebration of our Lord and Savior. What better way for the enemy to rob us of the joy of celebrating the birth of Jesus than to make us focus on the gift giving and the parties and the requirements to bring food and packages for needy people? The holidays should be about remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for each and every one of us. It should be about love. We don’t need to focus on the decorations or the gift giving, but instead focus on telling others about the wonderful gift that Jesus gave you.

How to Focus on the Real Reason for the Season

I promise you, if you take a moment and share with someone at the grocery store or at the post office or at the doctor’s office about the love of Jesus, your heart will swell with joy. Your heart will look like a giant bow on the most beautifully wrapped package. I have spent many years feeling like the Grinch at Christmastime and it is no fun at all. So I want to encourage you right now, struggling homeschool mom, to prepare for the holidays prayerfully and ask the Lord to get your heart ready to remember what the season is really about.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

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~ Written by Sherri and originally published December 2013, Habits for a Happy Home