Parenting and Farming

"A farmer plows his field, sows the seed, and fertilizes and cultivates-all the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. for a successful harvest, he is dependent on these things. Yet, the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season. In a sense he is in a partnership with God, and he will reap its benefits only when he has fulfilled his own responsibilities. Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do." From the book "The Pursuit of Holiness" written by Jerry Bridges.

When I read this from the preface of the book, I was struck by the similarities of farming and parenting. I was born and raised in Iowa. My dad was born and raised on a farm in Iowa. Iowa is known for farming, corn, soy beans, livestock and heaven(if you have seen the movie "Field of Dreams"). My dad left the farm as an adult and went into the electronics field, so I didn't grow up on a farm, but my dad has always had a garden, even up to this day. There is a phrase in Iowa that says, "you can take the farmer off the farm, but you can never take the farm out of the farmer." My dad, who is retired, has such a large vegetable garden now, that he sells most of his produce to a local grocery store and donates some of his produce to his church, where they have a produce sale every Sunday to raise funds for their youth group.

I have learned a lot from my dad over time about farming and gardening. So, when I was reading the preface and it was mentioning farming, I paid a little more attention to see where the author was headed and then it came to me that farming and parenting are very similar.

In Genesis the word "seed" is use to describe seed bearing plants, as well as, the human offspring of Adam & Eve in Genesis 3:15 "I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed." HCSB

So, here is what really got my attention from the preface: "Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do." Hmmmmm.....take out the word farming and replace it with the word "parenting"or the word farmer with  the word "parent".

This is exactly what the family ministry model is about at New Beginnings. Helping parents to see that parenting is a "joint venture" between God and the parent. The parent has his and her responsibilities and God has His. But God will not do what the parent should do.

When I am driving around with my dad in Iowa and we are in the country, my dad will be looking at the fields and he can tell right away by looking at a field of corn or soy beans, whether that farmer is a good farmer or a bad farmer, whether he is a lazy farmer or a hard working farmer. How does he tell that just by looking at the field? Mainly by the number and variety of weeds in the field, the health of the bean or corn plants. He can tell if the farmer has done the work he needed to do prior to planting, the plowing, the fertilizing, the cultivating, but my dad also can tell some things that are not in the farmers control, like the amount of rain or sun that have had an effect on the beans or corn.

My dad also knows that when it comes to rain or sun or insect damage, the only thing the farmer can do at that point is to pray. Farmers know there are things that are totally out of their control. They can do their very best job of plowing, planting, fertilizing and cultivating, but too much rain or too much sun or the bad insects that could not be stopped from destroying the plant, is not up to them. So they need to rely on God for His help.

As parents, we have our share of responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize and cultivate our children. Faith talks, faith walks, faith mission, and participating in the milestones in your children's lives are ways to plow, plant, fertilize and cultivate your children. Just as was quoted in the preface, "he will reap its benefits only when he has fulfilled his own responsibilities." But through intercessory prayer, we also need to turn over the rest of the work to God. He is the creator of all things.

What does the field look like in your home? We can only do our part. We cannot control God's part.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 says,  ⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.