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It’s amazing what you find out about your children when you homeschool them. For me, it’s like cutting off the layers of dusty bubble wrap, to find the fragile, but beautiful treasure underneath.

Last week, the boys wrote introduction speeches about themselves, to present them to their class. In our classroom at home we did a practice run. The boys stood at the front of the room, Nicklaus cleared his throat professionally, before presenting his speech to Christian and I.

It went something like this:

“I am 6 years old in the 11th grade, oh, I mean, I am 11 years old in the sixth grade. As you can see, I am very short for my age, but I am smart, funny, handsome, charming, and (with two twitches of his brow) single.”

This is Nicklaus. He eats the stage, and he’s a ham. Although, his height has been a constant dose of humbleness, which he needs on occasion, he doesn’t let it kill his confidence.

In conclusion, he said, “Okay guys, let’s get serious, you get to pray here, and read your Bible. In my previous school, I didn’t get to do that. I learned about every subject but God. You should be thankful you are in this school, and I’m happy to be able to learn more about the Bible with you guys.” (a little smoother than that, but you get the content).

Then, it was Christian’s turn to take the stage. He swayed back and forth, nervously looking at the floor, while mumbling the facts about himself, like it was a fill in the blanks biography.

“My name is Christian Adams, I’m nine years old. I have two cats, and a dog and a momma and a daddy and two brothers, and a plant, and a house, and a guinea pig, but he died…” His speech rambled on without thrill or fanfare.

When I awoke. I asked the boys. “What is the most important thing about yourselves, you can share with someone?”

Nick spoke up, “That we are Christians.”

“No! That’s a family secret Nick!” Christian shouted.

POPPP! POPPP! POPPP! (There goes the bubble wrap. The kind with the enormous bubbles)

It was out. My son Christian thought his faith was a family secret, like how much Momma reads in the bathroom. It took me a minute to close my mouth, and wipe the ‘looser mom’ off my brow.

“That should never be a secret Christian,” I said.

“At school it is. You should never talk about Jesus at school.”

I reassured Christian he was in a safe place to speak about his faith, and he should never fear speaking about God again.

He is slowly coming around, although he’s admitted to me, he still feels shy when he’s asked to talk about the subject… It takes time.

Although, our homeschool days are still difficult, I know I am putting the boys where they can grow in character, wisdom, and faith. I’ve already seen a significant difference when I pick them up from school. They are happy boys. Their teachers tell me “What a blessing they are.” It makes me happy, to know they are blessing somebody with something other than dirty gym socks. I don’t know if they’ll grow up and move mountains, I’m not in the mountain moving business. I can only point them to who can.