Every year, we buy new colored pencils and markers to make the start of a new school year more exciting. After all, we sit in the same ‘classroom’ as we did last year in our homeschool. Just making small changes helps us to have the excitement to look at this new year with determination to do well.

I know, it sounds like we are going to battle, doesn’t it? Some days there is a battle in our school room. A battle of their will and desire to push through the challenges of learning. I have several children with learning disabilities. It is a challenging time for us during the school day. We are all relieved when the school day is over.

Learning can be hard. Some of my kids hate to make mistakes and to have to go back and fix their work. To see how they came to the wrong conclusion and do the work to correct the mistake. You know, the actual learning process.

They don’t see what I see. That they are working more independently than last year. That they are not needing to use fingers to count as much anymore. That they are getting through school faster with less mistakes. That even though they are overwhelmed with the number of things they need to accomplish that day; they are getting it done and having time to relax afterwards.

Don’t we as adults do some of the same things? I know I do. I get overwhelmed with the number of things on my to do list. I have projects that I don’t even want to begin because I have made it bigger in my head than it actually was.

What do you do when you are overwhelmed and don’t want to begin something on your to do list? I know that I have gone and started a completely different project not on my list. I have decided to just take a nap instead. I have sat on the couch and read a book.

I am always relieved and pleasantly surprised when I actually begin the task, finish the task; and it wasn’t as difficult as I thought and didn’t take as long to complete.

Why do we make things bigger in our heads about things that are not that difficult? I try to keep this in mind as I teach my kids in school. It seems like it’s too much. It isn’t really. Just like I had to learn this lesson, they are in the process of learning it.

God never gives us anything that we cannot handle. And when it absolutely seems as if it is too much for us to bear, remember that He gave to us a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only one that knows how we feel and what the heavy load we carry feels like. That is what He suffered in Gethsemane. Sins, hurts, pains, heartache, sorrow, sickness, loss, all of the hard things. He suffered there with us. He knows you.

He did not give up on you. It was so hard! He even asked for the relief of not completing this task. But then, He became determined to finish it. For you. For me. For us all.

We start our school day with a prayer. It doesn’t keep the frustration from happening, but it helps so much more than if we forget to begin with a prayer.

Next time you are so overwhelmed that you become stuck not being able to begin your task, pray. Remember that even Jesus struggled to do His task, and I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful that He endured through the difficulty of it. It means that I can do anything because He was there; is here with me as I do it.

I hope that this school year brings courage and determination to your family and children.