Winter is coming, the season is almost over. And the harvest will be soon.

As I watch the season coming to a close, all of the evidence is there. The days become pale, trees sway in the wind grasping to its last leaf, gardens get thin and tired. Even the air smells different and the sunshine gets weary.

Winter is coming, the season's almost over.

In each of my seasons I see blunders, conquering feats, blessed quiet, and some increase. Every garden gets a little growth, you would think. Even with the best of intentions and love, sometimes that garden just will not thrive. I thought I could farm this wee bit of land that was given to me. I tried to raise the most beautiful garden the best I knew how, I prayed for guidance, I hoped for the right amount of rain. To my utter bewilderment, my wee farm will not thrive.

Then, it's time to get my hands into the soil again. Winter is coming, the season is almost over.

One day my wee bit of land was taken away. The more I tried to till and fertilize, the worse it got. I thought I was a failure. I believed that all the love I ever had just would not thrive in my wee farm, or anywhere else.  I cried at the disbelief of it all. And one day I realized it was never mine, I was only borrowing it until mine was ready.

Inconsolable. Still prideful. But winter is coming, the season is almost over.

I miss that bit of land. I loved it more than it loved me. I tried hard, I really did. But one day, when I would have never expected it, I was given another wee farm to till. It was different than the first, it seemed much harder to work and love. I barely liked it. So I asked the Giver of the land, "Why me? What can I do? This land is hard and barren." All the Giver told me to do is to keep tilling, keep planting, and there will be increase.

Even so, winter is coming, the season is almost over. And the harvest will be soon.

As hard as this soil is, I continue to till and furrow the rows, to plant the seed, and wait for rain. I'm thankful the Giver of this land loves me so much that He trusts me with this wee bit of a farm. It is mine for a time, the seasons are almost over, and the harvest is very soon.

Don't lose heart, do not be grieved. Till your land, make your furrows, plant the seed. And the harvest will be great.

v35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. v36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. v37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. v38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38

The Parent Ship in the Storm When LIFE Happens

As a Christian and a parent, I have learned to trust God with the big stuff, and not so big stuff. I don't nag, but I will answer a question as I feel God would want me to and back it up with love and kindness. My opinion may not be popular, but then again, I am their parent first.

I'm a results person. In other words, we are HERE now [like those maps in amusement parks say] and after going through getting HERE, only results matter. The way HERE was tumultuous and contrary to my better judgement for them, made me lose sleep, prayed and prayed - and I'm sure that the way HERE made me a special kind of insane. So the fact that I'll have a Godly answer is kind of impressive, especially since I feel like I've aged about 100 years over it.

Complaining now is not only counterproductive, but makes the situation take two steps back when we need a miracle; and miracles only go forward.

Having adult kids is HARD. Did I say it was HARD?? After taking one of my adult kids to the doctor recently, I got this revelation that I'm just his ride there. In other words, the doctor has no legal reason to tell me anything about his appointment. I just sat there quite befuddled and a little hurt. The kids are adults, have children of their own. What's a mom of adults kids to do in these situations? I'll let you know when I find out ;)

God has made a way with us to take care of our adult kids for prolonged periods of time to nurture, mend, love, and just plain help when life gets really HARD. A recent article said that 1 in 6 adults have moved back 'home'. I think it's much more than that. This world had made it very hard for kids to be on their own today. Rent is astronomical, pay is getting lower and lower, student debt is insane, good jobs are sparse, and if they are single parents, quadruple the hardship...at least.

And even though God has made a way for us to be that blessing - the ship in the storm - it may not be so to kids who won't let us. We nearly bought a house to do this, just to be told no at the very last minute. Or they leave too early and unprepared and find themselves broke or homeless, or both AGAIN. They always need money yesterday, no one plans for anything, so when I'm left holding the bag I usually don't have much to work with. I have to start over for them, get back to the basics of life.

I just wish that they wouldn't let it get so bad that it gets this HARD.

Sometimes, that horse won't drink no matter how you try. So, what's a parent to do? TRUST GOD. KEEP TRUSTING GOD. DID I MENTION TO TRUST GOD?

Oh, and keep a light on. You never know when the phone or doorbell will ring.

An Army of ONE.

Little is much when God is in it. 

So many of us on the sidewalk and supporters of the sidewalk wonder if we make a dent, if we are heard, if lives are being saved. You see this surreal, blurry nightmare play out in front of you of death and hell. It's incredible to see so much deception around LIFE and so many trying to kill it. 

Little is MUCH when God is in it.

In ministry, we are seed planters. We keep planting. And planting. Paul said, "6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase," [1Cor 3:6-7]. I have to trust God that I have planted seed and let Him, allow Him to nurture it. Once I let go and let God, I stopped trying to be as God. The results are His,  not mine. 

Little is MUCH when GOD is in it.

Pray that God brings you just one soul to witness to. Just one. It's a funny thing - whenever I ask God to do that, He answers. Sometimes He brings a pre-abortive mom or dad to me, sometimes a passerby who hates us, sometimes who thanks us. We never know, we shouldn't know. We just need to trust Him and enjoy what He will do!

Little is MUCH when GOD IS IN IT.

Jesus fed the five thousand by blessing what was there, two fish and five loaves, much to the amazement and awe of His disciples. They saw in the natural and reacted in the natural, "Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat," [Mark 6:36]. 

But have you blessed what you have? Jesus did, He took the food that was there and blessed it. His provision is better than ours! Why do we fight Him? Even an army of one can do what a multitude can't, if God is in it:

41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.42 And they did all eat, and were filled.43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. [Mark 6:41-44]

Your efforts are not unnoticed, your calling is sure. Don't lose hope or give up...but look UP.