When Jessica Rocha set out to celebrate her graduation from the University of California San Diego, she took a photo. And like many Instagram influencers often do, Rocha was in a field. But instead of being in a cute outfit with stylish accessories, Rocha was in her graduation gown. And her parents were on hand for the occasion.

Central to the importance of the shot was its location, and the way that it demonstrated her family heritage. In the photo, Rocha and her parents stood in the same fields where all three of them had toiled as migrant workers, planting and harvesting, for years and years. According to Rocha, after her parents emigrated to the US from Mexico they required her to work in the fields as way to remind her about the value of getting an education. During her high school years, she often worked the overnight shift with her father. They would plant strawberries late through the evening and into the morning. Rocha barely got enough sleep to take the bus to school in the morning.

Rocha took the photo to honor her parents for the way they sacrificed so that she could pursue her education. She said, “Nobody thinks about nor sees what happens behind a vegetable you grab at the grocery store. But behind it is someone who breaks their backs every day working in the fields."

Even after she made it into college, Rocha still worked the fields on weekends and during school breaks. She credited her parents for the motivation. “Many times I wanted to give up, but my parents and their pieces of advice and support were the reason I kept going. If it wasn't for how my parents raised me I don't know who I would be today."

Possible Preaching Angle:

1) Honor your parents for the sacrifices they made in raising you and their lasting influence in your life; 2) It's a blessing to look back and see the places from which God has brought us; it's also necessary for us to remember God's power and continue to trust in God's provision.