• Sep. 7, 2007 - The difference between a summer crop and a beloved herb garden. . .
I was pondering yesterday, as I clipped a bit of rosemary and thyme (yes, I have sage and parsley as well, for all of those who remember the song - la la la la la), about the difference in perspective between those who are in a hurry to see results and those who have time to wait.
I'm new to the business of watching perennials grow. A friend planted a tiny rosemary plant for me last year (along with my beloved roses), and it's been slowly -- very slowly -- inching its way up into the air. As I went out to snip some for herb bread, I was suddenly struck by how much it's grown over this past season. Little by little, almost without notice, it's been increasing in size, output and beauty. . . I have plenty of time to let it grow because it's a perennial. It will be here next year and the year after and the year after that.
My tomatoes, on the other hand, are a different story. Those plants have to produce red fruits in the next few weeks or all the time, money and effort expended on them will have been a total waste. They will be gone once the first frost comes.
Many people look at homeschooling their children the way I look at growing my tomatoes. Hurry up!!!! Do something!!!! Make me proud!!!! Learn something!!!!! Improve yourself!!!!! NOW!!!!!
But children are much more like my little rosemary plant. They take time. We might not even see any noticeable improvement this week, this month, even this year. But when we compare them to where they were last year -- oh, my! Such growth!!
You know what? Parents are also like my rosemary plant. It takes us time to learn how to parent. . . and to learn the really important things. Like patience.
So, give your kids a break. Ask them for forgiveness for being so impatient, so demanding. Then, forgive yourself and ask the Lord to help you learn this lesson.
While you're at it, go pick or buy some rosemary to add a bit of fragrant spice to your next meal -- toss it on some roasted potatoes or into some bread. May the aroma remind you of the time it takes children to grow!
And just like your Rosemary plant, God is so good to give us a glimpse every now and then of the future - our kids being "finished." Always encouraging, sometimes scary! LoL
Extremely happily married since 1979, Bill and Diana Waring home schooled their three children for more than twenty years. The Waring kids were the proving grounds for all the precepts, concepts, and encouragements Bill and Diana teach--the real-life examples of the wonders of home schooling! Now, new grandparents and somewhat empty nesters, Bill & Diana travel all over the world to share the joys of loving learning, honoring one another in the family, and enjoying the journey.
• Sep. 8, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Michelle