Partners in Parenting

“Patience until the End!”

This past weekend, I had a chance to visit the farm I grew up on from birth until I left for college.  It reminded me to practice being more patient.  Here is why:

I helped on the farm throughout my childhood.  I had to do lots of chores, but I also got to do a lot of fun things living on 60 acres!  One of the things I remember doing with my dad each spring was planting the crops on our land.  Our land consisted of four different small farms within a mile of each other.  So four times each spring, we would plant a field.  Before leaving the field, my dad and I would get off the tractor, kneel on the soil, pick up a handful of soil in each hand, and then he would pray to God asking for the harvest to be a good one.  I can’t really remember the prayer except that some of it was in English and some of it was in German.  Then we would go plant the next field.

Our next move was to basically wait for the harvest time to come.  Yes, we would cultivate every once in a while if weeds appeared, but basically, we had to wait.  There was no hurrying the plant along.  That was out of our control.  The important lesson I remember learning growing up on a farm was that God was in more control than I was.

As a parent, sometimes I want to be in control of too much in the lives of my children.  Sometimes I am not a patient with the growing process they are all three undertaking along with our family each day.  I get too narrowly focused as parent, but really, the “harvest” of their life doesn’t come until later - in who they become as a Christian, spouse, employee, parent, etc. as adults.  Being on the farm reminded me to be patient in the growing process of my children, not only for today, but also patient all the way until they go to heaven.

“See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”  James 5:7

Family Discussion Points!

Parents, ask your kids:  Do you wish you grew up on a farm?  Why or why not?

Parents, tell your kids if you wish you did?  If you did, tell your kids what you liked and didn’t like.  If you didn’t, tell your kids, what you would have liked about it.

Why is being patient so hard many times???