Research Versus Revelation

My oldest son just texted to ask if I had any articles that compare home schooling to public schooling. Funny! Well, yes I just happen to be able to lay my hands on a few. He has married friends at college with a little one and they are "looking into" home schooling. It made me smile! I did the exact same thing for two years actually before I took the plunge. Now that I am in my 14th year of homeschooling I look back and think how utterly insane that was. I have met so many home schoolers over those years. I have mentored many and taught children of many and as I look back absolutely no one made the decision to home school because of the statistics. Everyone calls it something a little different, but I call it revelation. Some felt they were "called" to home school and everyone has their own semantics, but what it boils down to is no one I know home schools because it has proven statistically to be the best education for some kids. We home school because we feel a Divine influence calling us to do this for the particular children in our homes. Home schooling is just too hard to do it for the statistical benefits. Then there are the times when we are in crisis and we all feel like putting our children into school because we feel like utter failures and still that Divine Voice whispers just hang on it will all work out for the best. And sure enough as the difficulty passes and the test scores come in for the year come to find out the kids really are doing ok and we marvel that they did so well when we feel like we as home school moms did so poorly. Statistics can never show that! They can't show the love that grows as parents and children help each other and grow together through trials, work, learning, and loving. I would never tell anyone not to look at the research - it's really interesting, but never make the decision to home school based on that. It is something so much deeper, and I am constantly amazed at the younger parents who are coming to home schooling earlier and earlier some before the first baby is even born. I hope that as they do all that research they also listen to that Divine voice that calls us to this great work!