The Sweetest Fruit: Persevering in the Good Work of Motherhood
One day, many years ago, without much planning or intention, our family started a tradition. It happened when my daughter was just starting her toddler years. She had come running up to me and flung herself into my arms. My husband was right next to me, so he joined in the snuggle, loudly saying the words, “Family Hug!!” My daughter giggled and enjoyed the dual snuggle time with her mama and dada.
This tradition has continued over the years. It has become so normal and expected in our home that my husband and I cannot give each other a hug without setting off a chain reaction. Many times, I have tiredly walked over into the arms of my husband, to receive his love and care, and one of our babies will see it and announce, “FAMILY HUG!” as loud as they can, and both of them will drop everything they are doing and run over to join in.
It’s a precious tradition that has knit our family bonds closer, diffused many a high-emotion situation when our young children were melting, and led to many silly, chaotic moments filled with love.
This tradition is one of many different seeds my husband and I have been planting for 7 years now, whether we’ve meant to or not. When we were in the baby and toddler stages, it always felt like all hands on deck. We were putting out fire after fire of meltdowns, boundary-setting (and resetting), and feeble attempts to point our kids to Christ, when we were bone-tired and weary. The seeds we were planting seemed small and insignificant. Some days, it felt like we were just throwing seeds at the dirt, hoping some would take root. But day by day, God gave us the grace to continue this small work. He faithfully watered those seeds and in the last couple of years, he has blessed my husband and I with the first signs of growth.
We see it when my daughter’s emotions run high, and she calms herself with deep breaths and prayer. We see it when my son whispers to himself that God made him to be strong right before he tries something hard. We hear it when they hum “This is Amazing Grace” and “His Mercy is More” while they color. We see it when one of them is generous with their toys, thoughtful of the other’s needs above their own, and when they respond to us with obedience and respect (all of these are rarer occasions than others, but we’ll take them!).
One of my most treasured moments happened recently after I miscarried our last baby. After sharing with my daughter how I was clinging to Christ in my sadness and pointing her to the verses that were keeping me afloat in the storm, she threw her arms around my neck, and lifted me and the baby we had lost up to God in the most childlike, breath-takingly beautiful prayer.
Of course, these seeds are growing in hearts that are still ruled by selfishness and self-righteousness. They grow amongst weeds of discontentment and envy. There is still much work to attend to and much growth to pray for. But the fruit that is growing is sweet.
We see this farmer-friendly language throughout Scripture when it comes to our work in Christ. One of my favorite verses is one I quote often:
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:8-9
This picture of the daily work we are called to is grueling, hard, and wearisome. The act of sowing is no small feat. Without it, there is no harvest. But the time between sowing and harvest isn’t instantaneous. It requires patience, diligence, and a whole lot of faith. We see in this verse that it is good work, but it’s work that we can grow weary from. It is quiet, unassuming, mostly unnoticed day-to-day work that Paul is calling us to persevere in because the promises are great.
This is not the only call ot persevere that we see in Scripture:
“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.’ Romans 5:3-5
Keep going, mama. The work you’re doing is good work, and the fruit that, Lord willing, grows in the lives of your children will be sweet.
But it’s not the sweetest fruit that comes out of this faithful work.
Look again at those verses above. The sweetest fruit we are promised is an eternity with Jesus Christ. It is our eternal life with him; he is the prize and the focus of our race. He is the heartbeat behind all of the work we do and the hope and love we have received in this life and the next. Yes, I treasure the moments I have here on Earth when I see gospel fruit spring up in my children’s hearts. It is a gift I know I am not guaranteed. But my ultimate treasure is my Savior - the reason we do this work in the first place, the hope that helps us persevere, and the treasure beyond anything we find here on Earth.
Whatever stage of motherhood you’re in, take heart in the fact that a quiet life where you point your babies to Jesus and, by his grace, reflect his character to them, is worth it. The fields may seem barren right now, but I encourage you to keep going. Keep planting the gospel seeds of love, kindness, joy, peace, patience, and more. Lay this work at the feet of our Savior and trust him to water and grow that fruit in the hearts of our children. Cover those babies in prayer. Rest in the fact that you are simply called to be faithful and surrender the harvest to God. Trust him with their souls and with yours. This is good work, mama. Lord willing, the fruit that comes from these seasons will be abundant, glorifying to our God, and fruit you can savor and treasure for an eternity to come.
