You Can Also Watch the Podcast on YouTube Here
Meet Sharon Jaynes
Sharon Jaynes is a conference speaker and author of 26 books including When You Don’t Like Your Story: What if Your Worst Chapter Could Become Your Greatest Victories, The Power of a Woman’s Words, Praying for Your Child and Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe, and Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence. She is past Veep. and radio co-host for Proverbs 31 Ministries and avid blogger. Sharon is a storyteller who loves weaving story and Biblical principles to encourage and empower women to walk in courage and confidence as they grasp their true identity as a child of God and a co-heir with Christ. She can often be spotted at Chick-fil-a drinking sweet tea or Starbucks ordering a skinny latte with whip cream. She and her husband, Steve, call NC home. They have one adult son who lives 767.5 miles away. Yes, she’s counted them.
A conversation with Sharon Jaynes that every Christian homeschool mom needs to hear
Motherhood is beautiful, but let’s be honest—it can also hit hard. Some days you’re thriving, teaching lessons with joy, praying over your kids with confidence, and feeling God’s presence guiding your every move. Other days? You’re wondering why no one told you you’d be refereeing arguments before breakfast, Googling how to teach long division for the tenth time, and trying not to compare your real life to someone’s perfect Instagram reel.
If that’s you, I want you to breathe for a moment. You’re in the right place.
In this week’s Christian Homeschool Moms Podcast, I sat down with the amazing Sharon Jaynes—author, storyteller, and longtime voice of encouragement for women. And let me tell you… our conversation took me to church. Sharon has this gift of speaking truth in a way that lands right where you need it: in your heart, your spirit, and that tired part of you that just wants to know you’re doing enough.
We talked about motherhood, faith, insecurity, comparison, loneliness, spiritual growth, and the silent battles moms fight behind closed doors. And most of all, we talked about the God who shows up in every one of those places.
This blog post pulls together the heart of our conversation—because what Sharon shared is too good not to linger on.
The Stories That Shape Us
Sharon opened up about her childhood in a way that stopped me in my tracks. She didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Her family went to church, but behind the scenes there was struggle, brokenness, and fear. She saw and heard things no little girl should ever have to experience. She grew up insecure, unsure of herself, convinced something must be “wrong” with her.
And yet—God sent someone.
Her best friend’s mom lived out her faith so naturally, so joyfully, so consistently that Sharon couldn’t help but be drawn in. This woman didn’t sit her down for formal Bible lessons. She just talked about Jesus like she actually knew Him. (Imagine that!) She invited Sharon into her life, answered her questions, and loved her without making a big announcement about it.
One small seed of faith planted in a hurting teenager turned into her entire family coming to Christ—mom, dad, all of them—within six years.
That hit me.
Because how often do we underestimate the quiet faithfulness of just being ourselves? Just loving the kids in our home and neighborhood? Just showing up for our children the best we can, even when we feel like our story is too messy or too complicated or too unfinished?
Sharon’s whole ministry is living proof that God can do something powerful with a story that once felt broken beyond repair.
If you’re carrying pieces of your past into motherhood, hear me clearly:
God is not done redeeming your story. In fact, He plans to use every bit of it.
The Pressure to Get Motherhood “Right”
We moved into a topic that every mom knows too well—the weight of feeling like you should have it all together by now.
We want to be the mom who always responds gently.
The mom who prays consistently.
The mom who knows exactly how to guide each child’s strengths.
The mom who doesn’t lose her cool over the spilled cereal or the unfinished math worksheet.
But real life doesn’t operate that neatly.
Sharon told a story about teaching her son to ride his bike without training wheels. He fell over and over again, finally threw the bike down, and declared, “This is NOT fun and it will NEVER be fun.”
Every homeschool mom felt that in her spirit.
Sometimes motherhood feels exactly like that bicycle—wobbly, frustrating, and absolutely nothing like the joyful picture you thought it would be.
But here’s the kicker:
The very next day, Sharon’s son got up, walked outside in his pajamas, and rode that bike perfectly.
Just like that.
Sometimes our kids seem to show no progress for months, then suddenly—growth.
Sometimes we feel like we’re failing every day, but God is working underneath the surface in ways we cannot see.
And that’s where Sharon dropped one of my favorite illustrations:
The story of how bamboo grows.
You water the bamboo seed for one year—nothing.
Two years—nothing.
Three years—nothing.
Four years—still nothing.
But in the fifth year? It shoots up 90 feet in six weeks.
Did it grow 90 feet in six weeks?
Or did it grow 90 feet in five years and six weeks?
Motherhood is that bamboo.
We’re pouring in lessons, prayers, corrections, conversations, Scripture, patience, tears, and hope.
Most days, nothing seems to be changing.
But underground, God is building roots that will eventually support something beautiful.
The Comparison Trap: Why It Eats Moms Alive
Let’s talk about the monster that steals joy faster than anything else: comparison.
Sharon reminded me that this is nothing new. Comparison has been happening since Cain and Abel, Moses and Aaron, Peter and John. And Jesus Himself shut it down with one line:
“What is that to you?”
In other words:
Stay in your lane.
But here’s the twist: moms today aren’t just comparing themselves to the ladies down the street. We’re comparing ourselves to mothers across the entire planet, 24/7, thanks to social media.
We forget that someone’s pretty little moment online is their highlight reel—while we’re standing in our messy kitchen staring at the behind-the-scenes chaos of our real life.
It’s a setup.
A guaranteed way to feel like you’re falling short.
And our kids? They’re learning this comparison game too.
So the way we model confidence, grace, and stability matters more than we think.
Sharon’s line sticks with me:
“The measuring stick will get you stuck.”
If you’re constantly checking your motherhood against someone else’s, you’ll stay discouraged and stuck. And worst of all, you’ll miss the unique, God-designed story unfolding right in front of you.
When You Feel Spiritually or Emotionally Alone
Homeschooling moms carry a special kind of loneliness sometimes. We’re not standing at the school pickup line swapping stories. We’re not chatting with teachers or other parents daily. Sometimes it’s just us, the kids, and whatever lesson is on the docket for the day.
Sharon offered such practical, heartfelt advice for this:
- Build community intentionally, even if it feels inconvenient at first.
- Connect with moms in your church, not just homeschool circles.
- Don’t only seek friends your age—include women who have already survived the season you’re in.
- Pray with other moms (even two or three makes a huge difference).
- Have fun—yes, fun. Coffee, dinner, walks, whatever fills you up.
We need each other. Even Jesus had His close circle.
And if you’re introverted or hesitant? Start small. One friend. One meetup. Let God grow that community at the pace He knows you need.
Praying Through the Struggle
One powerful moment from our talk was Sharon’s approach to prayer for her son. She didn’t spend her energy begging God to shield him from every struggle. She knew struggle is where growth happens—where faith becomes personal, not borrowed.
She prayed instead that:
- he would learn what he needed to learn,
- grow through the challenge, and
- stay rooted in God even when life was messy.
And honestly, that convicted me in the best way.
We want our kids’ lives to be easy. But if we look at our own stories, the deepest spiritual growth didn’t happen during ease—it happened during pressure.
Our job isn’t to eliminate their struggle.
It’s to walk beside them and point them to the God who never wastes it.
The Melody Around Our “Chopsticks”
Sharon told a story that brought tears to my eyes—about a little boy who snuck onto a stage and started pounding out “Chopsticks” on a grand piano. The famous pianist Paderewski walked out, wrapped his arms around the child, and started playing a beautiful melody around the simple, clumsy notes.
All the while he whispered:
“Don’t stop. Never quit.”
That image is motherhood.
We’re over here tapping out the spiritual equivalent of Chopsticks. We’re trying our best, messing up sometimes, and feeling like what we’re doing is painfully unimpressive.
But Jesus comes alongside us.
He wraps His arms around our efforts.
And He makes something beautiful out of the simple, shaky notes we’re offering.
He whispers to us too:
“Don’t stop. Never quit.”
Because He knows what’s growing.
Even when we can’t see it yet.
God Loves Mothers More Than You Realize
Sharon pointed out something I’d honestly never slowed down to notice:
Jesus repeatedly went out of His way to minister to mothers.
He comforted the grieving mom following her son’s funeral.
He healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman.
He spoke dignity, honor, and encouragement to women who felt overlooked.
And even in His final breaths on the cross, He made sure His own mother would be cared for.
Jesus sees mothers.
He honors mothers.
He loves mothers.
And He sees you.
You’re Doing Better Than You Think
If motherhood has been heavy lately, hear me:
You are not behind.
You are not failing.
Your story is not too messy for God to redeem.
Your efforts are not wasted.
Your prayers are not unheard.
Your kids are growing in places you cannot see yet.
Your motherhood matters more than you know.
And as Sharon beautifully reminded us:
God is playing a melody around your chopsticks.
Don’t stop.
Never quit.
God is writing something beautiful in your home.
How to Connect With Sharon Jaynes
If this conversation stirred something in your heart—and let’s be honest, how could it not?—you’re going to want to stay connected with Sharon. She pours out so much wisdom, Scripture, and godly encouragement for women, moms, and anyone walking through a season of growth or healing.
Here’s where you can find her:
Visit SharonJaynes.com for weekly devotions, free resources, speaking info, and all her books in one place.
Website: https://sharonjaynes.com
Books Mentioned & More
All of Sharon’s books are available on Amazon, ChristianBook, and through links on her website. Here are a few highlighted titles from our conversation:
- Mama Moments With God
- When You Don’t Like Your Story
- Praying for Your Child From Head to Toe
- The Power of a Woman’s Words
You can browse her full library here: https://sharonjaynes.com/product-category/books/
Follow Sharon on Socials
Stay encouraged throughout the week by following Sharon across her social platforms:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonejaynes/
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@SharonJaynes
She posts devotionals, Scripture-based encouragement, behind-the-scenes life, and wisdom for Christian women at every stage of motherhood.
