Growing veggies and disciples, too

Before we left for vacation, I wanted to make sure we had our garden prepared. When we return, it will be perfect timing to transplant some tomatoes and peppers, throw a few squash seeds in the ground, say a prayer to St. Isidore the farmer (and maybe St. Jude for good measure), and see what happens.

So I needed to make sure the soil was turned.

On one of the first truly nice days this spring, I decided we would spend the afternoon outside. With a baby strapped to my back, I set about to digging with my spade.

Not surprisingly, it was hard work, but in that gloriously satisfying way. Out in the fresh air with my lovely children surrounding me, dreaming of fresh vegetables, and enjoying the reprise of the longest/most awful winter imaginable.

The boys took to helping me, while Noah, ever the 'do-er' narrated excitedly all his visions for the garden plot. After a while though, they both plunked themselves down in different spots and went back to playing in the dirt.

I, however, kept at it, while they went about their own business.

It reminded me once again of a beautiful comment a friend of mine made at her final vows. (I said it in the linked post, but I'll say it again because it was so beautiful). 

She thanked her parents for teaching her to pray, because it "tilled the soil of [her] heart" in preparation for her encounter with Christ. 

For a true first-time gardener, these words meant more now that I had actually engaged in such an activity. Tilling the soil is hard work; so is teaching our children to pray.

But for so long, I thought the hard work was the effort put in -- we all needed to be doing something, we all needed to be In This Together, in order to "succeed" at teaching them to pray.

Now I think the hard work should be the example. It's better for the parents to expose their children to the activity, to continue at it for the parents' own sake, and just let them be kids alongside us.

Long Rosaries and litanies and anything else are good insofar as they draw us as parents closer to Christ, but not as constant pedagogy for small children. They can discern real versus veneer piety from a remarkably young age.

Seeds in the ground needs to be nurtured. The garden must be thinned and weeded, watered and looked after. But most of what takes place is a simple act of God; we help Him in His creative work, but it is His work.

We just need to let our little seedlings be.