A Mother's Garden: The Seeds, The Growth

Spring - the time of fresh colors and fragrant blossoms ... the time to dream of beautiful gardens - the time to purchase the vegetable garden seeds and flower seeds, and the flower plants that we will pot - the time to carefully prepare the soil.

We put a lot of effort into our yards and our gardens - all for the purpose of growing beautiful, fragrant flowers, or bountiful crops of veggies ... tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans.

We do all we can possibly do to get the most vibrant growing crop. We purchase just the right seeds and plants. We prepare the soil, we plant, we water, we weed. And we water and weed over and over again. 

And I wonder ... 

do we maybe begin to think that

we are the ones who cause the garden to grow ... 

that it is our efforts that cause a seed to sprout, 

that because of our working the soil for our flower pots and our gardens, 

that we are the ones who are producing the flowers, the bountiful crop of tomatoes, cucumbers??

And I also wonder ...

Do we have this same thinking

when it comes to mothering?

That over time - maybe, sometimes - 

we even begin to start imagining that we as mothers/wives are the ones 

who have brought the growth in our children, 

in our families? 

For after all, we are the ones who are doing the work. 

On our hands and knees working the soil, watering, pulling the weeds.

Do we maybe sometimes think that it is all up to us,

that it is our own efforts and work that brings the growth?

Do we begin to think that if we are good mothers, that our kids will make the right choices in life, that they will be good, that they will always follow after God? We put all of our effort into being the best mother possible, the best wife possible, and often find ourselves believing that maybe it is up to our own efforts to accomplish what we desire.

But ... the words of I Cor. 3:7 say it so clearly ...

"So neither he who plants

nor he who waters is anything,

but only GOD

who gives the growth."

And I wonder if our thinking about 

planting and growth in relation to our families 

makes a huge difference in 

how much we really do depend on God ...

how earnestly we seek after Him,

what our first priorities are,

and even how we view prayer as wives and mothers.

For if we think that things are really up to our own efforts ... if we think that what we do brings about growth in our child (growth in character, and in relationship with God), and that how we are as wives is what brings the things that we desire for our husbands ... then that is what we focus on most of all - our own efforts. And of course, we pray, too, but we do not view prayer as really very critical or of real importance.

Of course, our own efforts are important ... all the time and love that we put into our families is crucial and is hugely important. It is our calling, our responsibility to love, develop, and nurture our families. We need to give our complete focus to mothering, learning all we can, nurturing and not neglecting, giving of ourselves, our energies, our time. But as mothers ...

 We cannot make a seed sprout and grow.

It is only GOD. He is the Creator.

He is the only one who can mold a heart.

Only GOD brings the growth.

To be continued in the next weeks/months, 

with more thoughts on mothering, 

and more thoughts on our highest calling as mothers ... 
following after God with our whole hearts,

loving, nurturing, and praying for our children,
depending on Him alone.