Dec 07
6
Perils of Gardening
Posted by Stephen6
Tags: challenge, children, family
Last year Debbie made a small vegetable garden. She tilled the earth and planted some seeds and watered them and cared for them. They all sprouted, and she was most keen on the corn. This photo shows one of the corn seedlings. Unfortunately, by the time the corn plants started to amount to something, wild animals got into the little garden and ate the immature corn and trampled the plants. It could have been deer, or raccoons, or any of a variety of wildlife that comes through our section from time to time.
It was a devastating blow for poor Debbie. All her hard work and care had been destroyed in a night. The answer was high fences, of course, but it was too late in the season to plant again. The following summer we ended up with more children than we knew what to do with, so the garden lay fallow. Maybe next year Debbie can try again–with better fences.
I got back from yet another business trip last night. I’ve been gone from home for two days at a time, every week for the past month or so. I put in long hours on the days I’m away, and the days I’m home I’m rushing to catch up on what I couldn’t do while I was away. Again, long hours. Stuff gets done. Things are checked off the list. But I’m weary of the work.
It’s almost Christmas, and my time could be better spent on things that matter, things that are eternal, such as teaching my boys about the Messiah’s coming and the world’s need of a Saviour–about their need of a Saviour. Instead my time is spent on things that are temporary, that won’t last. And when I finally manage to spend time with my family I’m too weary to make it count.
The boys’ growing season is limited. I have to carefully till the ground, plant the seed, water it, care for it, and guard against predators that could ruin the crop. I want to take advantage of each day. It’s a challenge.
