Let's Receive Each One

"Mama, I can't wait to have a big baby bump and swollen ankles like you,"

She said to me one evening recently. 

My daughter is growing up. 

Thoughts of Mr. Right, family values, and cute maternity shirts are often on her mind. 

"Can I have that one for my hope chest?" she asks as she folds the laundry. 

Undeniably, she makes better cookies than me, better pizza, lasagna, and a multitude of other things.
Wise beyond her years, I wonder what her future holds, and I pray.  

I pray for each of my children, but this one seems ready to fly the nest before the others. 

Stretching her wings already, daily she anticipates the flight that seems just around the bend.
Seeing the beauty the Lord has molded into her life,
 the heart for Him that has developed,
 her compassion and mercy, servants heart, and desire to encourage others,
I wonder, where did she come from?

Bossy, knows her mind and what everyone else should be doing,

this little one has manipulative abilities that seem supernatural. 

Her sensitive heart is easily shattered at the thought that she has done something wrong. 

She begs forgiveness like there is no tomorrow, 

clutching me in grief over her sinful ways.

  How can you not fall in love over and over with such a loving one? 

Never mind cute,

her loud personality mingled with a genuine concern for others

makes her what my dad refers to as "quite a little imp."

And this one, cheesy  smile,

hyper-active beyond belief, silly, prone to giggle fits,

smart as a whip, and strong in conviction for a 9 year old,

all wrapped up in one scrappy little, animal loving body. 

Who can make such interesting and individual persons? 

  Who alone fashioned each one with gifts and talents that are unique to them? 

It wasn't their mama and daddy. 

Psalm 100:3  says, " It is He who has made us and not we ourselves..." 

Only our infinitely wise Creator is capable of crafting each person in such amazing individuality,
possibility, and function. 

If we had 20 children, they would each be their own... unlike the others.

  For God makes us each for a specific purpose,

for a specific person,

ministry, and time. 

We are no accidents indeed,
children are certainly not mistakes,

no matter what their parents think.

  God is sovereign.  

And so, each child is a gift, from God, to the parents. 

Like the parable of the talents, we are responsible to make of them what we can, 

seeing the individual value and potential in each one. 

What a gift they are, 

and how blessed we are when we fill our homes to the brim with God's beautiful blessings.

Who this next wee one is fills us with anticipation,

and makes the long days waiting endurable, mostly.

Who will she be? 

Who will she take after, what will she look like, what personality will she have? 

As I look at the children we already have under our wing,

I wonder how this one will add and effect our home. 

What lessons will I learn through her life? 

What will the Lord teach my heart while parenting hers? 

Part of the blessing of children is, I am sure,

that each one causes me to stretch and grow in a  different way,

thus, I am becoming sanctified through my children. 

For all these reasons and more,

we welcome each one that the Lord chooses to give us,

and count them all as blessings from above. 

Not headaches from above, 

not burdens from above, 

but rewards,

gifts,

and treasures. 

Let us receive each one as such.