In the heat of the summer I find a pleasant reward. My favorite reward in gardening is finally getting to enjoy the result of all my hard work. Throughout spring and well into summer I wait for the vegetables to mature, fighting off bugs and continually watering. When it’s time to pick the first vegetables, I feel reflective and nearly overwhelmed at the thought of how far this tiny crop has come—from seed to my table. Was the wait worth it? The first bite of peppers or a slice of cucumber gives the answer—yes!
I almost forget all the frustration and hard labor I endured to put this food before my family. The smell of fresh green beans or sweet onions steaming on the stove makes me want to shout, “I did it! It’s time to enjoy our efforts!” I never sit down to the table unaware of the hours invested to produce that moment.
The Father sweetly reminds me that my adventures in parenting will be much the same way. There will come a day when I forget all the tears I’ve cried for my children. I won’t remember the heartache of watching them learn hard lessons or make their own decisions. I will keep all the memories of the good times stored up in my heart and serve those to them when they are older.
Gardening is much like parenting. We don’t reap in the same season we sow. There is a lot that happens between the beginning and the end of our motherhood journey. Just as we work to keep weeds out of the garden, we strive to protect our kids from the negative influences of today’s culture. A garden needs patience and diligence. Raising children demands both. I think about the tiny seeds planted in early spring. It was weeks before I saw anything to get excited about. Is it any different than motherhood? Kids don’t grow up overnight (although there are days when we desperately want to them to). You can’t speed up the process no matter how hard we try.
Sometimes motherhood is exhausting; other times it seems like a futile effort. When we enter a new season of life and begin to enjoy our “harvest,” we see it is worth every minute of the work.
Parenting is a journey—a long journey. Are you still weeding and watering your “parenting garden,” or are you now enjoying a bountiful friendship with your grown children? Whatever your position, we can have confidence God is with us every step of the way—leading us toward a plentiful harvest.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
About Kim Heinecke
Kim Heinecke wants to live in a world where children listen to the advice of their mothers without question. As a former single mom she’s been encouraging women using her life experiences in parenting, growing in the Word of God and everything in between. When she’s not negotiating with a teenager or wrestling a pre-schooler, you can find her camping in the family RV or pretending to understand sports with her husband and four sons. Read more from Kim at www.TheMomExperiment.com.