Summer Week One: A Different Kind of Harvest

When I think about this season of parenthood, I think it can most aptly be described as raising an apple, an orange and an artichoke...all in the same garden at the same time.

 

Same age. Same eyes. Same last name. Same school. Different strengths and weaknesses. Various talents. Assorted interests. Unique challenges. I cannot expect each member of my trio to respond to life in the same way any more than I could expect an apple seed to sprout an artichoke.

 

I love all three SO VERY much--but they each bring a very different flavor to my life. Laughter. Patience. Humility. Deep Thought. Sanctification.

 

I was recently reflecting on how K's steady temperament has been used by the Lord to counter my excitability. She gets me in a way that defies her age. I can tell by the look on her face when I am heading off the rails. She (somewhat maddeningly) doesn't flinch.

God is using her to teach me about the blessing of consistency & joy. 

R's need to be heard and understood is a mirror into the soul struggle of my life. Our love is feisty and fierce. He's so strong--and he reminds me of a young me. I want to save him from some lessons I had to learn the hard way, but of course, he is too much like me to listen. We have spent years praying together for self control.

God is using R to teach me about courage and loyalty.

 

God gave me P as an ever present reminder to never give up. His struggle to learn patience despite challenges has required me to pay renewed attention to mine.

When I want to give up, I think about P. God's used him to teach me endurance.

His dry sense of humor and tender heart bring much joy to my life.

 

As curator of the garden where they are planted, I am kept constantly on my toes by the fact that they have different needs as they grow. This one more watering, that one more pruning, the other more time and space to mature. I did not create them, nor can I control their growth. It is simply mine to provide a healthy setting for their development, to tend to them through changing seasons/conditions and remove impediments that might choke them out.

 

I sigh and pray God will keep me mindful.

 

Frankly, all these competing needs in same aged packages can make the school year exhausting. But Summer is a precious time to let each explore their interests more fully than the hectic nature of a school day/homework schedule will allow.

 

This week R has been enjoying tennis camp, while K participated in an equestrian program. P chose to stay home and bond a bit with me.

An apple, an orange and an artichoke...each grew measurably this week through rain and sunshine. I am looking quite forward to several more weeks of this kind of Summer gardening!