What Are You Harvesting?

I stared in disbelief at the harvest of beans in my garden. I looked from the seed packet I began with to the rows upon rows of green beans dangling from their stems. Stamping my foot in frustration, I said, "I was really hoping for carrots."

Now clearly this is a fictional account of what happened in my garden, on so many levels. I have never had rows upon rows of anything, sadly enough, but I did accidentally grow some giant inedible gourds this year. I thought they were yellow squash. And I did stamp my foot in frustration when they took over the pea and bean patch and blocked the sun from producing anything at all. Except, of course, the giant inedible gourds.

Seriously though, we would never plant bean seeds and expect carrots in our gardens, but we do sow seeds all the time without any thought to what we are going to harvest and then stamp our feet when what we were hoping to see doesn't materialize.

I was really hoping that the jeans I hung in my closet back in June would still fit when the weather turned chilly. But that harvest does not come with a steady diet of Pub Mix and ice cream. Not even Pub Mix and fro yo could pull that off. But I stamped my foot a little in frustration.

I was really hoping to log into my blog and see post after witty post filling my cyber audience with glee and wonder, except that every time I get an urge to write I sit down and check Facebook first. Next thing I know hours have passed and I don't feel like writing anymore. I'm guilty of having two windows open right now, even as I type and know better...Too comfy to stamp my foot but I am hanging my head a little.

I can't tell you how many things I wish I'd done differently as a wife and mother. I've stood in confusion and dismay, but when I look down at the seed packet and look at what was harvested, the seeds don't lie.

Unless we are intentional to plant what we want to see in our lives, all the foot stamping and head hanging won't do a bit of good. Look carefully at your life and the activities you engage in. Keep an eye that the quality time/quantity of time is in balance with your kiddoes. They need both. Husbands too, for that matter.

How about you? Done any foot stamping or head hanging lately? Is the harvest what you meant to plant? Or, are you stuck with a garden full of giant inedible gourds? Don't lose hope...there's always another season around the corner.