Y'all. It's Harvest Time.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a

harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

It's harvest time y'all.

I have a 16 year old today. He is beautiful in every way. He is a delight to his father and I, an incredible person to just be around and today I am receiving the rewards for not giving up.

What do I mean by that? Well, let me tell you....

This child has driven me past the point of crazy and beyond more times than I can even remember. He began his journey into the land of language at nine months of age with his first sentence being, "No, touch!" Why? Because he was into EVERYTHING. I could not keep him out of drawers, trashcans, cabinets, closets, whatever. You name it and he was in it. I did not realize I could take a shower and the apocalypse not occur till I had Noah who would just sit quietly in his bouncer till I finished.

He has/had an insatiable curiosity that never would be quiet! What's this? What's that? How does that work? Where are we going? Why are we going? Why do I have to do that? Why, Where, What, Who and When for on and on and on and on till I was certain my ears were bleeding.

He has/had the ability to argue his side, his vantage point with the cunning skill of a lawyer since he was two years old. Two years old, people! Do you know how incredibly embarrassing it is to always lose an argument to a TWO YEAR OLD?!

And this crazy child waited until he was FOUR years of age to make a lifetime commitment to underwear and forgo pull-ups. There was no reasoning with him. It did not matter that I was 29 and he was 4. It did not make one difference what bribe I offered or coercion I attempted, or how much I yelled or disciplined. It did not matter one tiny bit. He was ready, when he was ready and not until he was ready.

I just love that about him.

There was the constant messes, the constant noise, the constant everyday draining that goes with having small children at home and I remember just trying to survive most of those days. I was completely out numbered with a four, three and one year old and don't understand how I possess any sanity at all today.

The days were long, but oh the years are short.

I see you today young momma of littles. I talk to you almost every time the church door is open, or when I see you out in this world. I can't help it. I'm completely drawn to you and your exhausted self and the insatiable chatterer you have walking beside you and the little-bit tucked in a carseat while you push your buggy through Target. I hug and tease and smile and talk to your littles. I kiss your soft baby's head and smell that sweet baby smell and praise the Lord that I am not living that anymore. Why? Because what you are doing right now is the HARDEST thing. I really mean that. It is so very hard. It is the most draining, most exhausting, most mind, soul and body numbing phase of life right now, but hear me! It is just a phase. It will be over before you know it.

So, what I am saying to you is DON'T GIVE UP! Because one day you will have a sixteen year old and it is going to be awesome. I'm not saying this phase is devoid of problems, because it isn't. What I'm saying is you've done the hard work. You've taught the manners. You taught the teeth brushing and the potty training and clothes dressing and how to get their own food/drink and the all around personal care stuff. You've taken them to church and invested in their lives and taught them how to read their Bibles and the importance of developing their own personal relationship with God and how to look outside of themselves to see the needs of those around them. You've been slowing pouring all of that into them for YEARS momma. Listen to me, reaping what you sow is no joke. I am completely living it in right now and IT. IS. AWESOME.

So DON'T GIVE UP. Keep telling them about Jesus. Keep taking them to church. Keep reading the Bible to them. Keep investing in their lives. Keep tying that shoe - I promise one day you won't have to! Keep teaching them to put others first. Keep showing them through your everyday living what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Don't grow weary in doing good for one day you WILL reap a harvest.

Gabe is not perfect. And I fully expect him to make bad choices. I fully expect him to sin. He is after all my child and I certainly did. And right now his bathroom is a wreck and his bed in not made and he probably needs to wash a load of clothes, so yeah, there's that. There is still a bit of training left to do... That aspect does eventually get easier, I promise.

But this is my life right now in this phase - "Mom, can I show what I just read in my Bible?" "Mom, guess what happened at school today and I was able to help this kid?" "Mom, what do you think about this: insert random whatever." "Mom, we talked about this at school today and I was, um no, that is not in the Bible." "Mom, we had a great small group tonight."

"Mom, Mom, Mom."

He's constantly still saying, "Mom." But it's so awesome now to sit and listen and gently offer advice and just watch him grow and dream. It's wonderful.

Don't give up. Don't grow weary of doing good. You will reap such a harvest. God is so very faithful.

This is sixteen and I am reaping a harvest so full my cup is overflowing today.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Galatians 6: 7-9 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.