What I Nurture will Flourish

I was driving down the road this afternoon on my way to pick up my oldest two kiddos after a campout at their Mamaw and Papaw’s house. Our youngest, Alli, was asleep in the second row of our van, so I was enjoying some peace and quiet and listening to the radio. A woman was sharing her testimony on K-Love about how her pastor had assigned her to read the gospels backwards, one chapter a day, and write something each day explaining what fascinated her about Jesus in that chapter. She reluctantly did the assignment each day, mostly just to appease her pastor, but as time went on she truly did become fascinated with who Jesus was and what he meant in her life. Through this assignment, this woman found salvation and changed her life. The radio host made the comment at the end of the segment, “it’s true: what you feed and water, will grow”.

We all know that if you feed and water something, it will grow. It’s an obvious statement, but I think it goes much deeper than that. Sometimes food and water is all that’s necessary to survival, but other times there is much more of an investment required than solely feeding and watering. Furthermore, what if we want a better outcome than to just survive? As I continued down the road I thought on this, and concluded that I prefer the statement, “What I Nurture will Flourish”.

It’s officially spring time in the south. The days are getting warmer and longer and I’m planning our garden for the year. This past week I got two packages in the mail with organic seeds that I plan to plant. My husband is in the shop with our son cutting the boards to build our new raised beds as I type this. If you’ve ever spent time gardening, you know there’s a lot more to it than just sowing the seeds and harvesting. First you’ve got to choose a location; some plants need full sun, others require shade. Then, you’ve got to find the right time to plant; some need to be planted after the last frost, while others are more tolerant to the cold. Each variety of plant needs it’s own space to grow. The soil needs to be rich in nutrients and properly balanced. You’ll need to determine how you’ll fertilize and keep pests away, and how you’ll protect your plants. Your garden will need to be watered regularly. Long story short, gardening is an investment. You plant your seeds and invest your time and effort until it’s time to harvest. If you do it right, your plants will flourish.

Our children are the same way. Yes, at very minimum, our children need food and water, but like the plants, there is a lot more to it. Our goal as mothers should be more than just keeping them alive (Though somedays we must operate in survival mode and just make it through). Our children need us to nurture and protect them; to teach and guide them. They need someone to hold their hand and read them stories, to carry them when they’re too tired to walk. In the same way that each plant has different needs, I can’t teach my son in the same ways I teach my daughter, because they learn differently. My duty as their mom goes far beyond *just* helping them grow. It’s my duty to help my children flourish. I have to set the right conditions for my children to flourish. It’s my job to give my kids an environment that is safe and loving and exemplifies the gospel.

The woman on the radio made a daily effort to learn more about Jesus. In this practice she not only learned, but made a conscience decision to keep seeking after God, to learn more, and to change her own life to better follow Jesus’ teachings. She nurtured her spirit daily by getting into the word of God, and because of that, she flourished spiritually. By nurturing my garden, carefully tending to it, and putting the effort towards it, it will flourish. Likewise, my children need my conscious effort. Nurturing my children, not only by keeping them safe and helping them grow, but by teaching and guiding them to be gentle, kind, gracious, forgiving, patient, and humble. I want my children to flourish, so I’m nurturing them. What I Nurture will Flourish.