There are plenty of people with multiple young children! There are even more people that have more children than me! When I asked some fellow moms their thoughts, it was suggested that these people want to compliment me or inquire about my thoughts on parenting in some way. Then why do so many women exclaim, "We are only given what we can handle, and I couldn't handle that many kids," or "I already have two crazy ones, I couldn't have a third and risk it being as crazy." An elderly woman saw me at the grocery store the other day and said, "Wow, are those all yours?" After acknowledging my children, she said, "well, it will be nice for you when they are all older." I simply responded, "it's nice now," which seemed to baffle her.
Let me jump on a quick box here...
I disagree that God gives you only what you can handle. I disagree that we should try to handle life on our own. I disagree that I am any more capable of handling four crazy boys than anyone else. We shouldn't boast and say we can do "this or that" because God's the one who can handle it all and decides about "this or that", and it's up to us to give Him the load. If God wants me to have more children, so be it (although I think they'd have to be adopted ones at this point), but don't decide your stance on children because the ones you have are hard. (There are much better reasons because all children are hard at some point.) Trust that God won't give you more than you can handle without HIS grace and strength.
This is not commentary on birth control or that everyone should have four kids. Rather, I want to squelch the notion that I am somehow able to handle things that others cannot, or that my children are simply more well-behaved, or that we only get what we can handle. Read some memoirs of people who have been dealt loads of hardship that seem humanly impossible to deal with while still finding peace.
In other words, the cards you are dealt shouldn't be seen as a curse or a blessing, but pure opportunity. You can use the opportunity to see grace from a whole new landscape or you can point fingers, (usually pointed at others for a curse and yourself for a blessing.) Choose the landscape of grace. It's gorgeously designed!
Back to that woman in the grocery store... I think she was referring to all the help I'd get down the road. But sometimes God knows I need a little extra help now, and he can motivate my boys to start fall cleaning without my request! Where one goes, the rest follow...
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| They deserved some good pool time after all that cleaning. Goodbye summer! We loved having you this year. |
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Levi has started to participate in class! He made pizza! Thank goodness we make this at home or he may not have joined. He's doing much better this week! Thank you for praying for him!
And Roman has yet to use the "potty" but will sit for hours if allowed, at the most inconvenient of times, in order to request an M&M = my foodie
Silas was the first to take home the "class dog, Stella" and she was a big family hit.
No pets until these boys can take care of them first.
 
This sweet boy is changing daily! It is such a miracle to watch.
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