“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” 

(Hebrews 12:1-2, HCSB)

A few years ago, I tried my hand at planting potatoes in our little backyard in the middle of town. I had never planted potatoes before, but it seemed easy enough. I waited patiently as they began sprouting big, green plants that almost looked like weeds. They certainly aren’t a beautiful plant to look at. As I went out and tended them in the hot sun, I doubted and questioned whether or not things were going okay with them. Were they actually growing? Was this normal? Would I reap a harvest? After about three months, the plants started to turn brown, and I was positive something had gone wrong, but I stayed on the course and waited. When all of the plants had wilted and began to die, I pulled them out and dug around the loose soil that I had spent time hand-tilling before planting. To my surprise, there were loads and loads of potatoes, of all colors and sizes beneath the soil. 

Every year when I plant new things, I remember this because we can’t always see what we are sowing in secret. Potatoes grow underground, and the unsightly, green plants that grow on the surface must wilt and die before a good harvest can be reached. It reminds me a lot of motherhood. We can’t always see the fruit of our work, and often, we are sowing in secret in tough conditions. Only God can see the work we are putting in, the fights we’re separating, the discipline we are implementing, the conversations we’re having over and over again, the prayers we whisper in the depths of our hearts, and the sweat, blood, and tears we pour into our children. Often from the outside, it doesn’t look like there’s a lot of “fruit” growing, and as any parent knows, it’s not always beautiful. We often wonder whether or not we are doing this parenting thing “the right way” and question: Is this normal? Can any good come from this? Are they growing or am I ruining them? 

However, we can trust with confidence the words of Paul that, “...He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, HCSB). As we are working out the hard things between and in our children, God is working out the hard things in both us and them, and I am confident that He will reap a mighty harvest at the proper time of completion. The conditions of parenthood aren’t always perfect; relationships, marriages, finances, jobs, life changes, and family matters sometimes bring added heat. The weight of parenthood is heavy. However, when we look towards Jesus, our load becomes lighter (Matthew 11:28-30). The author of Hebrews encouraged readers to run with endurance. He wrote, “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne” (Hebrews 12:1-2, HCSB). 

Friends let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, and trust that God will complete in both us and our children the good work that He started. Let us run with endurance and continue to show up and do the hard things in both our lives and our children’s, knowing and trusting that even when the heat feels intense and the scene is unsightly, God is still working. 

“Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of our children. As we sow in secret, only the things that You see, we ask for Your grace, mercy, and wisdom. We ask that You give us stamina and endurance to run the race that You have called us to run. Lord, we also ask that You would give us glimpses of the beauty You are creating in our lives, as well as our children’s. We pray for their Salvation in Christ Jesus and ask that they would also dedicate their lives to You. We thank You for getting us this far, and ask that You continue to lead and guide our paths. Lord, we dedicate our children to You, author and sustainer of all things, including them and us, and we ask for Your presence in our lives as we continue to labor for You. Amen.”