Tuesday, June 23, 2009

How does your garden grow?

A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. Ecclesiastes 3:2

I had one of those "aha" moments this morning. You know the kind. You've read a verse many times and suddenly it jumps off the page and hits you upside the head. God works that way with me sometimes...He knows I'm a bit hardheaded.

In my "aha" moment, it struck me (pun intended) how planting and harvesting applies to parenting and homeschooling. Every moment of every day is an opportunity. Every time I interact with my kids I am either planting a new seed, watering a struggling sprout, pulling some unsightly weed that's crept in, or chasing off crows as they attempt to pluck up the fresh shoot.

But what are we planting? Are we sowing seeds of wisdom? An open, honest relationship with the Lord? Seeds of the fruit of that relationship (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control)?

Or are we inadvertently sowing weed seeds - the beginnings of things we do not want growing in our children's lives? We speak impatiently. We've just sown a seed. We react in an unkind manner towards a child. We've just watered the seed of unkindness. We raise our voice to our kids. We've just fostered a lack of self-control in their little hearts.

Now this is not to say they are not responsible for their own actions, but when they are young, we are the ones doing most of the planting, watering, weeding and chasing off crows. Yes, you really do reap what you sow. Makes me stop and think. What am I sowing? When they speak harshly to one another, I have to ask myself "Where did they learn that? Are they mirroring my attitude in some way?"

Ouch! I don't necessarily like having a mirror held up to my attitudes, words and actions, but that's the way of parenting. Come to think of it, that's the way of living a godly life. We are to be a reflection of Christ. I have four little mirrors looking back at me that will either reflect a Christ-like attitude or one that resembles the world around them. Either one starts with what's being planted at home.

Now take a deep breath, put on those gardening gloves and go plant something good.


5 comments:

  1. What a timely word, Angela. Going to get my gardening gloves right now!

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  2. Well said!! I think the weeding and pruning will have to start with me. :) Thanks Ang!

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  3. That was really good! I am really going to be praying about that and asking the Lord what I am doing to sow weeds and what he wants me to water and plant. Thank you for sharing. I needed to hear that.
    :>Michelle

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  4. It's painful to see my own sin mirrored in their lives, and to honestly recognize that I have planted those weed seeds. What a great analogy!! So so true. I have a ton of weeding to do myself.

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  5. What a terrfic post, so well written and inspiring! Thanks for that!

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