I have been working hard in my garden this year. Determined to reap a good harvest, I’ve diligently started seeds indoors under grow lights, planted transplants, dug up said transplants due to an early frost, and fertilized.

Yesterday, I ran wire over my tomato plants and strung them up with twine as my children made toad houses and played with our rabbits. I noticed a few plants weren’t looking too hot, and I did what I could to help them out.

Y’all, growing things takes a lot of time and effort. Growing things requires patience and care. Oh, the patience I’ve needed while waiting for my plants to sprout!

Being a mother and growing children is quite the same, isn’t it? As moms, we are called to love our children, feed our children, and teach our children day in and day out. It is a huge task that we should take pretty seriously.

Each day I need to ask myself what I’ve done to pour into the lives of my children. Today, I’ve worked on potty training the three year old and feeding solids to the six month old. I awarded stickers to the children who had memorized our current Bible memory verse, and taught a new one. I quickly surveyed the garden before slipping downstairs to lay down with the baby.

Mamas, we are the gardeners in our children’s lives. What an amazing calling! We are called to survey what is needed to help them grow, and then carefully tend to their needs. Sometimes our homes need pruning for our kiddos to flourish. If we fill our homes with good things, our children will grow straighter; taller. This is what we want, isn’t it?

All of our small daily tasks build upon one another, and one day we will reap a harvest of righteousness if we do not give up hope.

Be encouraged today, mama. You are a gardener, growing good things in your own home.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9