Enjoying the Good Things in Community
It is 3:45 p.m., and we are flying over the Pacific Ocean after spending two weeks in Hawaii with family. We stayed in newly remodeled condos in Kona that had been graciously provided to us free of charge. Every morning, we woke to the beautiful chirping of birds and the sweet tropical breeze drifting through the windows. Right outside the condo, the children splashed happily in the pool. Just a short ten-minute drive up from the condos, we discovered a little coffee cart and gift shop tucked into the lush Hawaiian greenery along a winding road. Within thirty minutes, we had access to shops, poke bowls, fruit-syrup shaved ice, and even more coffee shops. And within an hour’s drive, we could enjoy sandy beaches with turquoise waters, gourmet restaurants lined with tiki torches, and beachfront seating where we watched the sunset after dinner. Needless to say, this family vacation felt like a dream.
As wonderful as the trip already was, it became even better. Several close family friends joined us during those two weeks of rest and refreshment. The days flew by, and somehow we never felt far away from home. Sharing the experience with people we loved made this dream vacation even more meaningful.
One family brought along their adorable baby girl, and all of us took turns holding her. Another family had children close in age to ours. Together they splashed in the waves, shared meals and acai bowls, and created memories they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
During the nearly six-hour flight home, a profound realization rose deep within my soul. We can move through life and even enjoy the seasons we walk through on our own. Yet growing through those seasons in community is what makes the journey truly meaningful.
From the very beginning of Creation, we were never intended to live in isolation. Before God created man, He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” When He created Adam, He declared, “It is not good for man to be alone.” While this truth is often applied to marriage and family, it extends far beyond that. We were created for fellowship — first with our Creator, and then with one another.
Scripture teaches that this was one of the very reasons Jesus came: to restore us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father and to unite us in fellowship with each other. The Bible even warns believers not to forsake gathering together.
With these foundational truths in mind, I cannot help but think about education.
We have homeschooled our five children since our oldest began kindergarten. During some of those years, we learned primarily at home while also participating in activities outside the home such as swimming, piano, soccer, ballet, and art lessons. Those remain some of the most precious years of my motherhood journey. We developed a beautifully fine-tuned routine, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity we had to enjoy that season together.
Whenever people learned that we homeschooled, the question most often asked was how our children socialized. The reality is that, as homeschoolers, my children were likely exposed to greater diversity than many students in traditional schools.
From the very beginning of our marriage, my husband and I agreed that our home would be a place of hospitality and community. Throughout our children’s upbringing, that became their normal. We hosted preachers, evangelists, and missionaries from every continent of the world. Around our dinner table, they shared stories about their countries, cultures, histories, hardships, and ministries. Our children listened and learned from real people with real experiences.
They did not learn solely from textbooks — though textbooks certainly have their place. They learned through relationships. They interacted regularly with people of all ages and backgrounds and became comfortable conversing not only with peers in ballet class, sports teams, and art lessons, but also with adults and elderly friends alike.
Those were also the years when homeschooling was far less common than it is today. Finding a homeschool community was not nearly as easy as it has become now. Yet, alongside other homeschooling families, we intentionally built community together.
We discovered something important: homeschooling on its own was already a tremendous blessing — much like a family vacation in Hawaii. But homeschooling within community made the experience richer, deeper, and far more meaningful.
Just as a vacation with family is a gift in itself, enjoying that gift in the company of others makes it even more memorable and fulfilling.
