Growth are you Thriving or Surviving?

I have to admit a lot of the time I really do feel as though I am just surviving. I don't know if it is just this season of life, you know dealing with preschoolers. Or, if it is simply my own personal management style that makes me feel as though I am just surviving. I think that sometimes what I am most of afraid of is that by the time I finally get this mothering thing down it will be all over the kids will be long gone. What I would really like to know and believe is that I am growing somewhere in this whole process and that really I am thriving.

We've become a culture where we are conditioned to look for quick results. We live in the fast lane of life. (Hand me my fast food burger and make it fast!) We want the kids to learn how to put on their clothes not just correctly but quickly! Oh, I see myself falling in line with this culture all to easily.

As I look over my garden though and I watch what God has shown me through nature about growth I see a different picture. Growth comes in seasons. I sometimes only think about growth in my garden around spring time when I can see the new buds on the trees. It is easy to forget about the past seasons of winter, fall, and summer where even though I did not see new blooms the trees and bushes were very much still alive and growing. Did you know it takes a peach tree 3 to 4 years before it begins to bear fruit. Peaches grow on wood from the previous season's growth. Growth builds upon itself and sometimes it can take several seasons before you can actually see results.

I think that God sees growth in my life much the same way taking several seasons and building upon itself. As long as I am continuing to seek nourshiment through daily bible reading and prayer, church involvement and accountability with close friends and family I will ultimately survive and, who knows maybe even thrive.