By Rebecca Kocsis

So, we finally decorated the Christmas tree. It had been standing in the family room bare and empty for a week, and even quite misshapen after lugging it down from the attic in pieces. Truth to tell, that’s just about how I was feeling those days—bare, empty, and in pieces.

I had been struggling. I was doing my devotions faithfully, yet each day growing more unsettled than the next. Surely I was doing something wrong.

“Maybe if I spend just a little more time in prayer.”
“Maybe if I read a little longer.”
“Why can’t I get myself out of this?”

But then God intervened. After a long, transparent, and prayerful talk with my prayer partner, after encouragement from his Word, His light dawned in my heart. I knew what the problem was. Then He filled me again, and covered me, and put the pieces back together.

As leaders, we sometimes think we need to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. We must man up and move on. We need to “fix this.” I’m sure you have a “this” that you are trying to fix, but just can’t. You think you’ll try a little harder. You work a little longer, but to no avail.

Two things happened that brought about the change. First, I said out loud where I had been struggling. Then, we took it to the Word and covered it in prayer.

As leaders, you must have a faithful group, or even one person, with whom who you can be transparent. Someone with whom you can reveal your vulnerabilities and weaknesses. The enemy already knows those, so we especially need someone to pray for us in those areas.

This circle must be mature and faithful enough that you will not worry about being judged or talked about behind your back. These persons must be grounded in the Word and willing to be a prayer warrior on your behalf. And God will move.

If you don’t have someone like this in your circle of friends, please give us a call. We know homeschool leadership. CHEA understands the field where you labor. We know that leading can sometimes be lonely. You have to make tough decisions that others don’t always understand. Sometimes those God has called us to love and serve, can hurt us tremendously. We know.

Every Monday morning at 11:15 a.m. CHEA team members gather to pray for the homeschool community and for CHEA. That’s how we start our week. We’d consider it an honor to pray for you. And you’re more than welcome to join us. We’d consider it a privilege to walk with you on this journey and share from God’s Word together. This is a virtual prayer meeting so there will always be plenty of space. Just let us know.

And don’t forget about CHEA’s Support Network Facebook group. Lots of ministry takes place over there, as well, as leaders share with leaders. It’s a secret group so you can’t find it by searching for it. Just say the word and we can add you to the group.

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

You aren’t on this journey alone.