Why does life seem so hard sometimes? I may have wondered this a few times in my lifetime:
My first job was so stressful, I woke up with my stomach in knots every morning wondering what I would be criticized for.
Days prior to my first Thanksgiving as a newlywed, my husband and I were at a stalemate because neither of us would compromise about whose family to spend it with.
As a parent, there are days I’ve felt dazed and confused when my children made poor decisions.
A profession. Marriage. Parenting. It’s not for the faint of heart, is it?
Yet, the Holy Spirit showed me how each is an investment which requires working on daily and intentionally. And that’s exactly the part I didn’t like.
But, I went to school for years. Isn’t that enough time for my profession to be successful?
But, I planned my wedding for months and months. Isn’t that enough effort for my marriage to be my happily ever after?
But, I carried these children for 9 months and endured painful labor. Isn’t that enough for my children to be amazing?
In other words, each of these areas should be effortless after what I had already sacrificed. I found myself guilty of wanting to put each of these areas into cruise control.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 says, “But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing what is right.” This made me think about a gardener who plants a seed with hope of a great harvest. He doesn’t just prepare the land for it. Once planted, the gardener has to water it. He has to make sure it receives enough sunlight. The gardener has to remove the weeds. He has to do this intentionally and he has to do this every day. And slowly but surely, he will reap a bountiful harvest.
Likewise, I found myself spending hours learning more about a bureaucracy. I found myself attending seminars and reading books about a godly marriage. I found myself asking for parenting advice and prayers from those who possessed wisdom in this area. As God has entrusted me in each of these areas, I understood that I had to be diligent in working at each every day, which requires strength from God.
May this be our prayer: “But you, LORD, … You are my strength; come quickly to help me” (Psalm 22:19) … to tend to the seed daily and intentionally.
~Joyce
