In Other Words--Growing Plants for God

"These children are the seeds my days plant, the blooms of the next generations."
~ Ann Voskamp ~
"Holy Experience"

I just want to start by saying that I feel inadequate writing on this quote. I read Ann's Holy Experience blog daily and she blows me away with her wisdom. And here I am trying to comment on that wisdom.

Secondly, it is ironic to write about growing children in a week that I said to my husband I have no idea why God entrusted these kids to me, I'm not very good at this motherhood thing. (nothing major this week, just normal toddlerhood and preschool issues). I was at my wits end Friday when I saw the quote for the week and laughed aloud.

All that being said, isn't this a great quote?
I'm a farmer's daughter. I grew up on a cotton farm and I know the ups and downs of planting the seed and waiting for the rain at the right time, and long hours of tilling the land and irrigating the land, and praying the weather stays pretty enough to get the harvest in. I know all of that, and it is a life I did not think I wanted--too hard, too unpredictable, too long. And, yet, this quote says that, basically, we are all farmers tilling the fertile ground of our children's hearts. And I am thrilled to have this life.

Yes, it has lots of ups and downs. The joys of hearing Jewel (my 4 year old) playing church with Flower and telling her sister to hold hands to pray. The elation when I hear them singing praise songs as easily as they would sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." The fun we are having learning the memory verses that our part of our home education curriculum every week and the laughter each night as she tries to teach her daddy the week's verse. The ups are great!

Then there are the downs. The kissing the boo-boos and wiping away tears. The laying awake at night when they are sick. The almost constant praying that something I am doing or saying will take hold (and the negative things they may witness won't take hold). The self-doubt when I think I can't do this (and God always reminds me that He can). The worry when they are out of my sight. The fear of what the world may be for them. The downs are scary, but also necessary.

So I didn't want to till the land because it was too hard, too unpredictable, too long of days. And yet I till their hearts and that too is hard, but so rewarding; it is unpredictable, but God knows the outcome; and although the days seem long this time is really so very short. I hope to instill the values and knowledge they need to reap a harvest of a righteous life given to God. What greater privilege could their be. Thank you, Ann, for helping me see that.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree plated by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:2-3