- will eat you out of house and home (not just house OR home, but BOTH! :-)
- drive you insane
- will send you into bankruptcy by sending 5000+ text messages in just one month
- are like olive shoots
- "Don't you guys own a tv?" Yeah, but we don't have cable.
- "Don't you know what causes that?" Oh yes! {big smile}
- "I am one of 8 children. You are blessed!" Yes, we are. Thanks.
- "You are crazy." Yep! Isn't it great?
- "You certainly have your hands full." Yep! Isn't it great?
- "Are you done yet?" I don't know, that's up to God.
Probably the one I hear most is, "How do you do it?" People often think or even say that I'm superwoman. That really makes me uncomfortable. I'm not superwoman, I'm not even somewhat-better-than-average-woman. I'm "just" a mom, like most other moms out there. Sometimes my children drive me crazy, I'm stressed out too often and my house is usually a mess. So why do I have 8 children? That's a question I'm surprisingly asked very infrequently. Usually when I am asked that, it's a stranger in a situation where I don't have a lot of time. A good brief answer is: God says children are a blessing.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:4-5
Yes, children are hard work. I have had to sacrifice some things I'd like to do to take care of them. They do cost a lot of money. But, they have blessed me in more ways than I can say. They are fun, cute, silly, loving, sweet and charming. They cuddle with me and think I'm wonderful (most of the time)(okay, .... not so much when they are teens). They teach me lots of things about the stars, animals, playing princess, Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, and ipods. But the biggest learning comes from the parallels I can see between my relationship with my children and my relationship with God the Father. Wow! Just all kinds of lessons there!
I believe that God gave us each child that my husband and I have.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
They didn't just happen as a product of biology. He knows us and knows what we need and knows each of our children and chose us to be together as a family. God is the creator of life - that means only He can bring new life - and that means I wouldn't have 8 children unless God had chosen to give me them. All of them. I don't know why I am so blessed. I'm not the best mom or teacher. I'm disorganized and impatient. I'm not a superwoman, but as I've heard others say, I've got a super God and through Him I can be just the mom these children need me to be.
2 comments:
My perspective of how God relates to me and how I relate to God became so much more broad as I have had children. Especially with our firstborn . . . I learned so much patience and service and had such a previously unknown source of LOVE for the little one I held in my arms! Taking measure of that and then trying to imagine the enormity of God's love and patience with me . . . there were some profound revelations there!
We have six children now, 11 and under, so not so much time for reflecting =o), but lots of time for loving and laughing - and yeah, we have to make time for cleaning and schooling once in a while, too =o).
You are so right about those revelations! Thanks
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