~Thoughts from My Garden~ (Part 1)

Welcome to my summer blog’s “Garden” theme.  I have been busy growing a real garden for the first time in my life!  I have had “semi”gardens before (tomatoes & cucumbers), but this year I’m growing tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet peas, carrots & cucumbers…a real garden! 

With my 4 children all being teenagers, I am finding that gardening is reflection time for me.  It has been wonderful!  I can pray, meditate on Scripture and, what I find myself doing the most often is thinking about what wonderful analogies there are in growing a garden and raising children.  I know this isn’t unique as I’ve read many of them myself, however, I will share with you the insights that God has given me through my garden. 

Back in March, I planted some seeds in a mini-greenhouse planter that I bought at our local store.  After placing the seeds in rows in the planter, I labeled the rows so that I would know what was growing in the spaces.  As I was planting these seeds, I was thinking about faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (Heb 11:1)

By faith I was planting these seeds that they would grow into healthy plants.  I don’t understand everything about germination, how EXACTLY the sun, water and soil work together to cause the seeds to grow, etc.  But, I did do research to find out which plants grow best in Colorado, what type of soil different plants like (acid, ph, etc).  I do know that these are important factors and that plants need all three of these to grow.  However, because my understanding is VERY limited, I needed faith that the plants would grow to plant the seeds in the first place.

Raising a godly generation requires faith as well.  While I study God’s Word and strive to follow it in every area of my life, including raising children, there is still much more that I don’t understand.  By faith we teach them the ways of God according to His Word NOT according to our understanding.  By faith, we would discipline our children in the way God said it should be done, etc..  God is God after all, and there is no way we can understand Him fully because we are finite.  So, we read His Word and do what is says, by faith in Him, that He knows best.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”  (Pro 3:5-6)

The next step in planting my garden was to put the greenhouse in an environment that it could thrive in.  We have a huge bay window that faces south so we get a lot of sunshine coming in.  This was the perfect place to put the plants.  Since I wanted to optimize the growth of the plants, I put them in the best place for them to have all they needed to germinate.

Raising our children is no different.  We know our children best so we know what environment will optimize their physical and spiritual growth.  For our family, homeschooling provided the optimum environment for their growth.  Todd and I wanted to be the primary “feeders” of their souls, to be the primary influence in their lives.  When we stand before God, He is not going to say, “Why did so and so not teach your children about me?”  No one else is going to be accountable before Him except Todd and I and we take the stewardship of our children very seriously.  We want God to say to us, “Well done My good and faithful servants”.

“"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deu 6:4-9)

There are more thoughts to come, but right now I need to go and tend my garden!