As parents, it’s our goal—and hope—to grow healthy children. Yet they aren’t born self-sufficient in any way, shape or form. What they have going for them is their overall adorableness, sweet-smelling heads and that they make great napping buddies. Their helplessness means they need a lot of nurturing and care from the very beginning.
Our gardens need a lot of TLC, too. If tomato seedlings are left to fend for themselves, there’s going to be disappointment around the dinner table on BLT night come August. To grow healthy plants, we must provide water, sunlight and fertilizer. Plants also require weeding and pruning. Without meeting these needs, optimal conditions for a bountiful harvest are impossible. And just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize some plants need less water, more shade or require fancy-schmancy fertilizer. Tending gardens is a lot of work, isn’t it? Yet many consider it a labor of love and are all too happy to put in the time because the rewards are great.
There are a lot of parallels between raising children and tending gardens. We watch them, care for them and provide them with the best conditions possible to flourish. Both need to be nurtured and looked after to rise to their fullest potential. And then there are the similar curveballs. Like plants, not all children have the exact same needs. What works for one may not work for another. So, give them, and yourself, some grace as they grow.
Raising children is complex. Thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who understands the pressures of parenting. God’s there for you from the beginning of each season until we finally see our hard work flourish in the harvest.
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