Impatience, the uprooter of seeds well planted

We read a story a while back from our Frog and Toad books. Toad wanted to plant a garden like Frog's so Frog gave him some seeds and Toad took them home and planted them, but they did nothing. So, he did all sorts of things to get the plants to grow. He sang to them, He stayed up all night with them thinking they were lonely, He shout at them to grow, and on it went. Frog came by a few days later to see how Toad's garden was coming along and he laughed at all the efforts Toad was making to get the seeds to grow. He then told Toad the secret of growing, you must water them, let them have sun and WAIT. I often forget to wait and in my impatience I often uproot the very seeds I have been trying to plant.

This last week was our second week back at school and as is normal we have lost some progress in the habits we were forming last year. We aim for three habits recommended by Charlotte Mason for young students: The habit of attention, the habit of perfect execution and the habit of obedience. So it is to be expected that it will be awkward and maybe painful as we try to reestablish them again after a month of not doing them. So I planted the seeds of reminders, made a careful plan to reestablish them and then set about working to see my little garden grow. But I am an adult and I forgot kids are not. I had the right seeds, put the right plan in place, but I got impatient, Like Toad I wondered why I did not see results sooner. I was irritated and fretful. In my impatience I began to uproot the seeds of the habits I was so careful to plan for. I forgot to wait, to be kind, to be supportive, to expect success. I forgot to allow time for the seed to soften and to absorb the water and the nutrients and then when it was ready, it will sprout. I must be patient. I must continue on like the farmer caring for the seeds deep in the ground doing faithfully my work and soon I will see that they have after all received the water I have been applying, and they have been getting nourished by the soil I placed around them. They will grow. They will learn.

In the meantime the sun is shining and I am enjoying the well tilled earth and the rich dark soil knowing in a few months there will be a harvest…if I am patient.