The girl’s garden at Shepherd’s Hill is already yielding bushel loads of tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, and a myriad of other garden vegetables. You would never believe how much these techno-savvy, cell phone-addicted, computer-dependent; makeup and fingernail conscious young ladies actually love this gardening stuff! But, it doesn’t stop with the girls. The boys have now jealously pursued a late start on a garden of their own! Every family and church youth group needs a garden! The teachable times and the life principles that come out of it are amazing.
But, the garden isn’t the only thing growing. The character and spiritual life of these kids are growing also. They’re realizing good seed yields good fruit—and they like the fruit they are seeing in themselves. Why is it that when they were getting all the sex, drugs, rock and roll they could stand, their faces scowled with evidence to the fact that they hated everyone and everything—including God and life itself? Why is it that now, when they’re pulling weeds, hoeing furrows, building buildings, or digging trenches, they can be seen laughing and joking with a glow that gives evidence to the fact that life is good; family is good; parents and authority are good; and God is great?! I’ll tell you why. It’s not because digging a ditch is more fun. It’s because living a life submitted to the moral standards of the God who created them is a recipe for joy—even in the midst of difficulty and work! Even if it has to be jump started through discipline—a lost art today.
The problem is that too few of us are willing to exercise the actions needed to hold one another accountable for fear of being labeled judgmental, intolerant, or politically incorrect. Parents, today, have fallen into similar traps with their kids. This same mindset allows criminals to go free–as we’ve seen recently in the news. Label me all three if you must; but, I like my kids smiling and loving life!
Planting a summer garden can be a project where your whole family participates. It will require team work from all family members, and create good – quality time together. Your kids will not only learn how to grow their own food, but they will learn the importance of hard work and being responsible for something of value to the whole family. More importantly, besides seeing and eating the fruits of your labor, the time together will give you the opportunity to give thanks and praises to God collectively as a family.
Author: Trace Embry is the Founder of Shepherd’s Hill Ministries. He hosts the License To Parent radio program. For over a decade, Shepherd’s Hill Ministries has helped struggling teens through its residential program and Christian boarding school, Shepherd’s Hill Academy located on an 86-acre property in Georgia. Call 706-779-5766 for more information, or join us on Facebook.
