i love the first line, "Children are a gift!"
how contrary to what the world is telling us. people judge and criticize our family constantly because of our outrageous number of kids (sarcasm) ;) everyone wants to forecast how horrible the adolescent years will pan out around here, how the cost of college tuition, weddings, car insurance, will sink us. the list of rude and insensitive questions and comments are unending.
but in the end, after critiquing our choice to have a large family people always ask, "how do you do it?"
ultimately, it's because deep, deep, down we view our children as unending gifts just waiting to be opened. and because of this conviction we prioritize our time, activities, attitudes, and money, to be the ones to unravel those gifts.
no, not everyday feels like a gift. today, Anderson poured dawn over my entire kitchen, unrolled the ULTRA toilet paper roll in the bathroom, lucy wept loudly and dramtically at barnes and noble yesterday about a stuffed horse, julia and katie grumbled they whole time they had to clean their nasty bedroom yesterday at 4 o'clock (the worst hour every for a SAHM). i didn't feel so "gifted".
but then in moments like this afternoon, when i have a few spare moments of pure quiet while children fake sleep in their beds, and i glance at this sign when i pick up the hundredth small toy i stubbed my toy on, i realize it's already november and the days, months and ultimately the years are passing through my fingers and ignore me as i grope for them to slow down. my children, every one of them is a gift.
not only are they a gift. but they are a gift sent from God. sent from throne of the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, the Savior, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Beginning and the End, has gifted these human lives in our care. He strategically placed them in our family, for such a time as this.
my amazing thursday night bible study studied psalm 139 last night. it resonated in my heart all night long. i dreamt of my niece or nephew having the finishing touches placed on their finger nails, the extra puff of strength placed in their lungs, a little more chunk on those cheeks, (thanks for the images, aimee) of course it lead me back to the nearly 160 weeks i spent carrying my babies as they grew inside of me. it's awe-inspiring. nothing short of jaw dropping intimacy. He desires to point us to Himself every time a new life is formed. He is the designer and His creation spells out just how wonderful He is.
for a very brief time these children of ours will fill this home with kids shoes, loud kid laughter, ear piercing squeals, energy zapping whines, cries in the wee hours of the night, smiles, hugs, forever loads of laundry, stinky bottoms, dirty kitchen floors that never seem clean, tiny dora pillows, toe stubbing toys EVERY WHERE, mac-n-cheese filled bellies, ridiculous 3rd grade homework at the wrong time of the day, dawn soap filled counters, and the love of our outrageously large family (sarcasm) bursting at the seams.
oh, what a magical gift i am watching grow in this very house,
~s
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