Mama, Don't Give Up

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

If you’re a mom, you have days that make you want to chug coffee, devour chocolate and hide in the bathroom.

A mom friend of mine whose kids are two, four and six years old shared this on social media:

My day has consisted of continually getting people food and drinks that they have either thrown up or refused to eat. Dishes, laundry, repeat. Lots of crying, whining and screaming, mostly from the kids. This started at 3am.

My three kids are seven years older than each of hers. My two latest social media posts are about a new discipline technique I’m trying with my teenage son who doesn’t think he needs to obey me anymore and a daughter who googled “how to deal with annoying parents”.

These posts make us chuckle, but when we see little to no fruit from our labor, it’s easy to become discouraged. Today’s focus verse encourages us that at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

When we want to give up, what can we do?

One thing is to keep your eye on the harvest and on the Lord of the harvest. I married into a farm family almost two decades ago. I don’t claim to know much about farming, but I do know this: Harvest work is hard work. A farmer never gets a day off. He gets up every day before the sun and works until dark. He must keep himself strong. Harvest work requires stamina and perseverance. He works the ground over and over until the soil is just right, then he plants good seeds and fertilizes them. Next, he waits. Harvest work requires patience. Often harsh climate conditions slow the harvest or damage the small plants.

Ultimately, the farmer must entrust the harvest to God.

 

Every year he plants, the harvest is different. Some years it’s abundant; some years it’s sparse. But at the end of the farmer’s life, he can look back and see God’s faithfulness, provision and abundant blessing.

Sweet friend, when the days feel long and you want to give up, remember that what you do is holy work. God is always with you. When you choose a gentle word over a harsh word or teach your kids to be brave, you’re planting good seeds. When you read a book for the hundredth time or sit through hours of soccer practice, you’re fertilizing those good seeds. Sometimes harsh climate conditions come and cause damage, but you know there is nothing to fear. You have entrusted your harvest to God. Don’t get tired of doing what is good today. At just the right time you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up!

 

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog