We first moved to our current city when LJ was just a few months old. I'm a bit of a planner so wanted to scope out school options. (Doug may say that I get a bit obsessed with planning things out WAY in advance.) It started innocently enough, just looking at college-going rates in the local schools, etc. There are a plethora of charter schools here and within one subdivision there can easily be 4 different elementary schools that kids attend. Based on the college statistics, the charters definitely seemed to be a better option but I still felt unsettled.
A few years later, I had a coworker whose kids attended a different type of private school. (I'm not going to talk about it publicly for the sake of our family's privacy but, if you want to know, you can message me.) The more I learned about the methods and curriculum, the more I wanted to know. We ended up at a different school than my friend but a similar style. As we learned more about the school, I started to feel settled. However, it was not convenient - about 25 miles away - and it would really stretch our budget. It felt right at the time so we started moving forward.
When we first started attending there, I remember having driven to the school then to work then to school then home and needing to go back to the school for a meeting after dinner. I thought, "I must be crazy. Why not just go to the public school down the street or the charter school less than a mile away?!?" It wasn't a prayer, it was just a thought - a frustration at the end of along day. Unexpectedly, the Spirit intervened. I felt an impression that it wasn't crazy and it was exactly what needed to happen. In the years since then, we have absolutely fallen in love with this school, it's faculty and staff and the ways it has benefited both boys. The commute can still be frustrating - especially during the ridiculous winter we've had. We are hoping to move in the somewhat foreseeable future (that isn't vague at all) and one of our key determinants of location is distance to the school. (For me, when people ask about the idea of moving out of state, the school holds us here even more than the dread of taking another set of board exams.)
The other day, I had the opportunity to attend an informational session about their elementary programs. Even though we wouldn't dream of leaving the school, with both boys there, that financial stretch has gotten a bit more painful. As I listened to the presentation, I was grateful for a considerate Heavenly Father who again, without my specific request, gently let me know that this was in fact the right place for the boys.
I know Heavenly Father is involved in the intricacies of our lives. I know that school choice can be a very big deal - it will shape and mold friendships and characteristics that have the potential to change lives. I know that Heavenly Father loves my boys more than I do and he knows what is best for them - even which school they attend. I appreciate him reminding me that He's in charge and that He's definitely right here with me and involved.
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