Why are Children God's Blessings?

My response to a wonderful article I read this morning on Women Living Well about Having Babies {in Opposite World}.

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Ever since I was a tween, all I wanted was to get married and have kids. 'How many?' Mom would ask me and I simply replied "As many as God will let me". I wanted a big, big family. Maybe not Duggar size, but bigger than the family of six my family was.

I, too, had met my husband in high school, and we married the weekend after he graduated college, and a few months later we were having our firstborn. We almost lost our son that day, due to dry birth and a plethora of things that made his heart rate almost stop and my body not even responding to get ready to give birth in the first place. But thanks to modern medicine and an emergency operation, we now have a healthy 6 year old laughing at the tv right now.

2 1/2 years later we had our second child, this time a girl, and though this time was not exceptionally horrifying giving birth, it was still through surgery. Oh, how I pined to have a girl. I wanted my firstborn to be a boy, and was happy that came true, but we come from large family of boys, so it wasn't a surprise. But a girl, that was a rarity. Oh, how I pined for her, even when the ultrasound claimed every time that the baby was a girl, I still wouldn't believe it until the doctor showed me as soon as she removed her from my numb body.

A boy and a girl. I was happy. I knew I couldn't, shouldn't, too difficult to have more. So a boy and a girl was an answer to prayer.

But still, deep down I felt terrible that my dreams of having a lot of children seemed like an impossibility, and that I felt less of a woman because my body wouldn't give birth the "right" way. I got a lot of negativity about not only having children younger than the world thinks we should, but also slack about how I shouldn't have had them (or have more) because I can't do it natures way (and extra kudos if it without medicine).

If the world was right, then they wouldn't be heading to H.E. Double Hockey Sticks in a hand basket.

(Now, I'm not saying that those who can give birth the natural and medication free should feel bad about their experience, or even more superior. I think that no matter how the child comes into the world, the fact is that a little bit of eternity now exists in the world.)

It wasn't until I spent some time alone with God that he healed my broken heart, and taught me how my two kids are a reward.

The fact that as I lay shaking on the operating table, with my arms stretched out, crying, and listening to the calming voice of the anesthesiologist telling me that it's going to be alright in one ear, and my husband giving me a play by play in the other ear, that moment was when I was completely vulnerable and completely not in control of anything. 

In that moment I went to God. I knew God was the only one who really was in control, and I was going to the source to make my plea. My plea for peace, for strength, for my baby. I remember praying in my head, telling God that I give all control to him and all I want is my baby, but because I know that he knows best for me, that if he took him home, it would be ok, because I knew I would see him again one day. But I really really wanted my baby with me.

As you can imagine, my son lived. The nurse came to me later and asked if they had told me the baby's APGAR score and was surprised that they didn't. She said he had scored a 9 1/2. She said that it really was a 10 (the best it can possibly be), but the hospital had a policy about not giving out 10s.

Translation: Not only did God give me my baby, but restored him to perfect health!

I also learned in my alone time with God, that in order for my son to have life, I had to sacrifice my body, my control, my every thing. I certainly would have given up my life to save his and it wouldn't have even been a blink of an eye to make that decision. God revealed to me that what  he allowed me to experience was the tiniest of tiniest fraction of what Jesus went through on the cross. It was then that the tears have not stopped flowing. The realization of how awesome, holy and pure our God is, and only seeing the smallest peek of all his glory, I can still scarcely take it in. Every time my mind wanders over there, or hymns that talk about salvation, even writing this post, tears spring up and I can not hide them.

Then came the lesson about my daughter. He knows my future. He knew that my husband was about to lose his job as a teacher and would have to struggle to find two jobs that would make our ends meet. He knew that my son would be exceptionally bright and unchallenged in school. He knew that one day I would be homeschooling my children and only seeing my husband three days out of the week. He knew my dreams, but he also knew what I can handle and that two children would be more than enough for me to handle. More. Than. Enough.

So God gave me the girl I wanted so deeply in my heart, so I wouldn't torment myself with the "if only" and "what if", or continue down the path to try to have a girl. Perhaps that would have been the wrong path for me to follow on my quest to have a girl and I would have suffered great losses. I won't know until I meet my maker, but I am sure of one thing; God spared me, and gave me my girl.

So why would the world say that children are a curse to young adults? Simple. Simple as simple can simply be. It's a huge secret that the world itself doesn't even know it's keeping, but I'll tell you, because I like you...

Satan doesn't want us to have more children.

Surprised? 

More children means more of Gods blessings, more of Gods rewards and goodness on the earth, more opportunities for God to show his love to us, and more people to spread Gods word to others.

How devastating would it be if no one in the world could have children? What would people do if they realized that the entire human race was to end in 100 years tops, because everyone was suddenly sterile?

There would be no hope for humanity! 

That is how children are a blessing from God, they are our future, they are the hope in the world.

This is why people get upset when a child is abused, or worse yet, killed. Why would anyone want to kill the only hope we have in this world that we can physically hold in our arms? Satan and his demons of course.

I love my kids. They are my life. I look back as what my life was before them, and it was nothing and empty compared to how filled and blessed my life is now. So many times in just the few short years they have been alive have my children amazed me, made me laugh the deep laugh, and showed me glimpses of Gods love. Sure my kids frustrate me, they make me mad, and they don't always do what they are told, but what am I fighting against? Bingo we have a winner! You're right, Satan and his demons.

Fight the good fight. Love on your children. If you and your spouse are feeling the yearning of a child, know that God will take care of you. Go watch In the Womb and be amazed at life and how it's a miracle that the body can even get pregnant. If you unable to have children, consider adopting, or even just being a foster parent. There are so many children in the world right now who are tossed aside and need stability and love. Maybe your home and your heart is where they need to be?

Be the light in the world, give the world God's hope.

With Love,
Emily