I picked the veggies from our garden a few days ago...and while I was so excited to see some radishes and cucumbers, I realized that I have very few tomatoes to show off.
"Hmm, why is that?" I thought. Last year, our tomatoes were BOOMING! I mean, they kept growing and growing, and we could barely keep up with picking and giving them away. That's how well they were doing.
This year, relying on the same "green thumb luck", I planted the tomatoes, diligently watered them along with the rest of the garden, but...that was it. I was not concerned; I was not paying much attention; I was trusting that the sun and the rain and the soil would do their magical thing, and we'll have bucketfuls of cherry tomatoes once again.
Well, not quite so.
As I looked into my tray of veggies, I realized one simple truth:
A man reaps what he sows.
It comes directly from the Bible:
Galatians 6:7-9
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
I have spent a lot of time on tending to my radishes. I strategically chose a very good spot for them in the garden, so that they can be easily reached for easy picking. I also thinned them out for the first time ever to allow them enough space to grow to their best potential.
Oh how I have "babied" my cucumbers. Truly, I did. I sprouted them in a wet cloth first, and then I carefully planted each sprout into a well-raked wet soil. I watered them daily, perhaps, giving them just an extra minute or two of hosing...I weeded any and all of the unwelcomed flora visitors near my cucumbers right away. I put stakes next to each cucumber plant to help them climb and have more space for the leaves, flowers, and potential vegetables. I so wanted to succeed this year. I wanted to have a good harvest of cucumbers. And? I did. I surely did. I was feeling happy and accomplished.
But what about my tomatoes???
I glanced over at my two kiddos running around in the backyard chasing pretend "bad guys" and saving the world. My mind started thinking outside of the "vegetable box", and inside of my immediate world--my family. Am I treating raising my kids the same way...maybe? Am I paying attention to one or two areas of their development but leaving the rest to just "grow" relying on the good "soil, just enough sun and rain"? Just because I weed the bad influences, does it mean my kids are well protected? Or does it mean their needs are only met on this very basic level?
I looked again at my kids and at my garden...Now I clearly saw the parallels.
My cucumbers are doing wonderfully this year. I invested so much time and energy in them, and they are producing such healthy and abundant harvest.
My kids are noticeably growing this summer. Nick grew 2 shoe sizes and 1 clothes size, and Lucy grew 1 shoe size and sprouted in height. They are eating so well, and I am pleased how smooth our transition is going from the processed food to wholesome ("made from nature", as Nick often says) meals and snacks. I invest so much time, energy, and resources into their well-being, nutritious food, and physical development, and it clearly paid off.
My radishes are amazing this year. I had to come up with some creative ways to plant them as there wasn't much space left after all the "big" plants went in. They took off no problem. They grew fast, and they delivered vibrant red bulbs that tasted sweet with just enough of a bitter bite to them, you know, for the fun of it :) It is such an easy vegetable to grow, and it gives the kids a very quick and fun visual of how we can have food on our table from a tiny seed into a real vegetable in just 30 days!
My kids get a lot of fun a creative activities on a weekly basis. I feel like this is my strong point as a parent: I love crafts; I love being outside; I love fun things and places. Their imaginations blossom, and they love when we do fun projects together. We are never bored, that's for sure.
Now, my tomatoes, however...oh they are struggling this year. They look frail, and you can tell they are weak plants. The stems are thin, and the flowers are tiny and few. They produce about 5-8 tiny cherry tomatoes a week (out of 4 plants!!). I'm happy they haven't completely withered, but I am sad to see them barely surviving. I have not paid much attention to their nutrition or weeding. I have not raked the soil around them much. I have watered them and installed wired support, but that's pretty much it. I haven't invested much into my tomatoes, and...they are NOT producing fruit.
My kids' spiritual lives are weak. I hate to admit it, but this is the weakest point of my parenting. I find time for fun and nutrition, but I can't seem to build up the same commitment to their spiritual well-being as I do for their physical and creative ones. We pray daily, and we talk about God when situations arise. But other than that, there is no intentional investment into that aspect of their lives. There's no intentional Bible reading, and there's no intentional application. Other than the holidays, when I try to take it to another level and be more proactive about exposing them to the Scriptures and the Christian values, I do not do much about their spiritual development on a daily basis.
I cannot rely on our church activities or on their friends' influence alone. It just won't cut it. It is my sole responsibility as a parent to raise my children in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father and help them develop a personal relationship with Him.
Psalms 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you like down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NIV)
Joel 1:3
Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
I see it ever so clearly now how God was speaking to me through my tray of harvested veggies...Lay off the crafts and food, mama. Invest into their souls.
