Do You See Children as a Blessing?

My five kids sometimes do the grocery shopping with me. We often use two carts, the oldest boy pushing one and me pushing the other. The second oldest boy checks off items on our list. The youngest two boys trail along, and my baby girl is in my cart. Without fail, another shopper will say, “Gosh, you have your hands full!”

Why, yes, I do, but so is my heart full—so very full. It’s full of the love, joy, laughter, and fun these kids teach me every single day. They also keep me humble as I try to teach them what it means to live with integrity, to be kind, and to be obedient to God and their parents. Their relationships with one another help them build character as well, and while it’s sometimes complete chaos at my house, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I always wanted a big family. I joke that I’m surprised my husband didn’t run away when I told him I wanted six kids. He would have been content to stop at two, but I think he knew that wasn’t going to happen when he married me. I figured I could compromise with only four, but even after four beautiful and healthy boys, my heart still felt incomplete. So we left the door open to another baby if it was God’s will.

Later, we decided we could be content with the four we had, but before we could make that a permanent decision, God showed up with one more blessing. Now we’re enjoying some ribbons and bows.

In our culture, children are often viewed as a hassle, a nuisance, and too much work. An unplanned pregnancy is considered an interruption and disposable. I wonder how many people think my hands must be too full, as if I couldn’t possibly handle five kids let alone raise them “right” or give them what they need.

Jesus shows us something different:

• He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. (Matthew 18:2 NIV)
• Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16 NIV)

Jesus loves little ones. He even lifted up their kind of faith as an example of how adults can enter his kingdom. If Jesus wanted to be around little children, then I think it’s fine and dandy if I want to be, too. I think it’s even finer if I want to be with a bunch of kids who are my own. My love for them might be an example of Jesus’s kind of love to the world around us, and I hope their daily life practicing with one another will grow them into loving people as Jesus does.

God’s Word also tells parents that children are a reward. That statement doesn’t come with a caveat. The Bible doesn’t say only children born in wedlock are a reward. It doesn’t say only perfectly healthy children and children of the gender you want are a reward. It doesn’t say children born when we’re “ready” are a reward. It just says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127:3–5 NIV).

Every child is a reward—even when stressful circumstances surround their existence. Even if we thought we didn’t want to be pregnant. Even if they need extra care because of a disability.

I often look at my kids and realize that one of the rewards of having them is my own growth. I look more like Jesus because of them and all the practice they give me in loving well, in being kind and gentle, and in self-control. If I didn’t have all these kiddos, I might walk around thinking I have a handle on life. But because of them I know how much I need the Holy Spirit as the Lord of my heart.

Each one of my children brings something different to the table, too, so I know if one of them were missing, my growth would look completely different. God gave these particular children to me so I can be more Christlike.

First John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (NIV). My kids give me the opportunity to practice loving them in the same way God loves me, his child. I sacrifice in some way on a daily basis so they can have what they need or so they will know I love them. I don’t think our culture likes the idea of sacrifice. We want our own needs fulfilled before we take on the needs of anyone else. Yet the truth is that sacrificing for another person leads to character growth, wisdom, and a heart more like Jesus’s, which makes this world a better place.

How blessed am I that I get to practice Christlike love within the walls of my own home and with these funny, wonderful little people God gave me as my kids? I hope the way I interact with them shows the world what a blessing they are to me and how full my heart is because they’re mine for a little while.

Carla Clemens enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and one daughter. Her littles interrupt her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.

Photograph © Edward Cisneros, used with permission