Having a Large Family

Some of my favorite bloggers have large families.  Now many of my friends consider my family to be large.  I have heard the same comments as other large families.  "Are they all yours?"  "You are done now, right?"  "You have your hands full!"  "Better you than me."  As a mother of four daughters there are times when I feel my family is large.  For example, when they were 9, 8, 4 and 1, and I had to dress them and fix each one's hair for church! Or when we were in a restaurant and one needed to use the bathroom and we all got up to troop off because I didn't want to repeat this three more times! I especially notice in our van when they are all talking!  But compared to these moms of 6, 8 or 12 my family is not big.

Today the 4 Moms answer the question, "How did you know you wanted and could handle a large family?  I encourage you to read their responses if you are praying about having children or having more children or just in case you are curious and won't need to ask that family in the grocery store! LOL

Hannah a few years ago with her large family of babies! :)

For the last several years I have been wanting more children.  Reading these posts has reminded me that none of these women planned for large families at first.  God doesn't necessarily give every family lots of children.  He blesses as He chooses and not always with children. 

I am encouraged by these ladies and would be even if I only had one child and so did they, because they are seeking to grow in grace and be the mother God would have them to be. 

My heart's desire now is to be the best mother to these four that I have.  If God should bless us again through adoption or a physical miracle, I would be thrilled.  But if He does not give us any more children, I praise Him for blessing me so much already.

For any friends, or readers, who may be considering these things for your own family planning, I would encourage you to do nothing permanent  to prevent you from having children.  I would also encourage you to look in God's Word for your answers!

For those who haven't or can't have children by birth, I pray that you would consider adoption.  It is a wonderful, difficult, scary, joyful process much like giving birth!  If you think you can't afford it, neither could we.  God provided every single penny for our adoption through His people! It was an amazing thing to watch. 

Today, and every day, I want to be thankful for what I do have, and strive to be worthy of the responsibility God has given me! 

   

With All My Heart~







(recent photos by Sarah and Mary)