School Supply Insanity

Anticipation of school supply sales used to be such fun…now all those bins of erasers, pencils, and index cards are making me feel slightly woozy.  I’m not ready for school supplies!  I have no definitive plan for my children academically this fall.  I’m trying to figure out options for everyone and my head is pounding from the sheer weight of my decisions.  Why do I struggle so with decisions?  Why can’t I simply make a decision and be done with it? Each of my five children are in different situations for school and none of them are where I want them to be.  I wish I knew what the best option was for them.  At the moment there are 5 children, 5 plans, 500 decisions… and 1 confused me. The bummer is I’ve always enjoyed school supplies shopping!  That’s one of the things I loved about homeschooling!  School supplies, craft supplies, paper, pencils, and markers!  Woo Hoo!!  Now, I have two little girls that are a little too enamored with writing their names on EVERYTHING with markers…so the markers have lost their allure.  I’m trying to organize and de-clutter, so purchasing more colored pencils to add to the 2 shoe boxes full seems a bit redundant.  And if I add any more paper or spiral-bound notebooks to this house people might think it’s an office supply store. This year, those school supplies didn’t bring a lot of excitement…just panic! Decision-making is so difficult for me.  And these education decisions seem huge!  Huge.  It feels as if every decision has major repercussion for the present and the future.  My head is spinning and my heart is heavy.  I feel anxious. Which reminds me of Philippians 4:6-7.  I have it memorized in one version but this is it in the Amplified version: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God and God’s peace {shall be yours that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace} which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I know that verse by heart…I wish I really took it to heart.  I’m a whirling dervish of anxiety right now…that’s not how God wants me to be.  He wants me to trust Him with it all…every big and little decision…every short-term and every long-term decision.  The best way to combat my anxiety is to answer it with scripture.  To preach the gospel to myself.  God cares more about me and my children than I can imagine. “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”  Isaiah 54:13 God knows exactly what my children need and in His perfect timing it will happen.  I have to let go of wanting everything to happen in my timing. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 I’m choosing not to be anxious.  To pray.  To trust God and His word.  And to move forward with faith.  And maybe I’ll just make some decisions already!