God places such value on people. And He really loves future generations. A lot.
Usually when I read Psalm 127 and the verse I have posted here in my xanga header, I think in terms of my own children. They truly are the richest gift the Lord has given me.
But God doesn't say that only the children of my own flesh are His greatest gift. He says children are a blessing and that the fruit of the womb is a heritage from Him, period. Whether the new baby is yours or mine or hers, that child-- full of hidden potential and possibilities-- is a tremendous gift from the Lord. Each and every life represents God's intricate design and an opportunity for eternal investment. Wow!
If you haven't known me my whole life, you might not know that I was never the kind of girl who was holding every baby in the church. You might assume that since I have a handful of children and love them dearly that I must just be the kind of person who naturally adores babies. It simply isn't true. Oh, there was one family for whom I babysat regularly as a teenager whose children became infinitely precious to me, but I was not naturally drawn to "oohing" and "ahhing" over babies and toddlers. A little bit of time shared with a particular child could quickly induce attachment in me, but I've never been one to see a baby from afar and simply have to hold him.
One of the biggest lessons having children has taught me is to love every life I see a bit more at first glance. As various challenging moments in motherhood have come, I've had to dig deeper into the Lord and His Word because I find that my love-- which seemed so great upon the arrival of my firstborn but quickly proved itself temporal and self-centered-- runs out and that I need His in order to persevere. As I press into the Lord, the revelation that God loves His children overwhelms me. He loves His creation. He is passionately pursuing each and every life, and so should we. And the more I search for His heart for the sake of my own children, the more I
find myself "oohing" and "ahhing" over babies in general.
After all, children-- all children-- are God's greatest gift, you know.
That is wonderful insight. I was never too drawn to babies, either...and I have had similar struggles with limits to my love for my own kids. It is a challenge, sometimes, to really grasp how precious each child is. I think it really hits home for me, though, when I see or hear about a child that has been neglected or abused, or a woman that has had an abortion. Those situations evoke such a sadness that bypasses my intellect and just make me want more than anything for the value of children to be recognized. Unfortunately, my mind and selfishness get in the way much too often when reconciling the fact that children are sinners, too, and my love needs to "cover over a multitude of sins". Perhaps that's the reason God felt the need to remind us so clearly and frequently in His word that all children are precious to Him and blessings for us.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME, Bri!
ReplyDeletei don't know if you saw my latest post, but when i first read that card, i just was overwhelmed with a sense of profound sadness for the loss of that little life. abortion is just so grossly unfair to those unborn babies.
ReplyDeletePS: I saw today that you have 90 days left w/ this pregnancy! Way to go!!!
ReplyDeleteChildren really are such amazing and beautiful blessings. I think that with each child we have, our hearts just expand more and more! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic post, Bri! Thanks. And I love the new header at the top of your pg. You are a wonderful mom and human being.
ReplyDelete