Large Family Living

Some would consider our family "large". In my opinion it just depends on how you look at it. I would think that a large family might have ten or so kids. We aren't there yet and only the Lord knows what our future holds. I heard a sermon by a local pastor titled " Is Ten Too Many". ( I have got to remember to bring that back to the library) I love what he did at the end, he called each child up on the stage. Yes they were prepared for this. He went on to say had they not made the choice to let the Lord bless them then these children would not have been there for them to enjoy and Love. This made a huge impact on me. I had felt the same way but didn't know how to express it but thanks to Pastor Gibson it was so clear. When I see Sarah and Samuel I realize that this is because we just couldn't say yes to those questions you are always asked- Will this be your last one? Are you getting your tubes tied? Even with the birth of Jacob we had left the norm! No birth control?!?! Are you nuts? Said by many who got a little too much into our business. So when I see a picture of my family I see 3 that we planned almost down to the exact month and then I see three that we took our timing out of the picture and allowed for God's timing to take place. I can remember after Josiah's birth Sammy went in for the big "V" consultation. I am so glad that he is wiser than I am and said No! With all the issues of Josiah's birth, fear crept in and I was afraid to have more. Isn't it just amazing that when I was pregnant with Jacob all those problems that -would get worse- just simply started to disappear. God showed up when we allowed him to take control! Now with Mother's Day quickly approaching I always look forward to that day. When I was a kid it was a different story. Being raised by a Grandmother instead of a Mother made for some very uncomfortable Mothers Days to say the least. I remember Mamaw would rarely go to church but on Mothers Day she sometimes would just because my Aunt Vickie really wanted her to. We would all have to wear those great big huge corsages. I hated mine! Why did I have to wear some flower half the size of my chest. To me it was so ugly and so heavy. But I didn't dare say a word, obviously it meant something to someone. Funny thing now is that for the past few years I have really wanted to wear a simple small corsage on Mothers Day. As crazy as it sounds I would feel proud to wear one. I am throwing hints hear and there but I think I will just pick one up at Bi Lo or someplace. Would I make my girls wear one? Only if they wanted to and only if it were very small. Our church doesn't do this and probably not many do now but I can remember as a kid the preacher would give a pot of flowers or some kind of plant to the oldest Mom and the one with the most kids. I loved seeing these gray haired little ladies yell out " I've got 8" or "I've got 10" sometimes I can remember the number going above that. In my mind I would think WOW that had to be a really neat family to grow up in. You could see the pride coming off them when they would talk about those kids. Not the looks of disgust that so many have today. So maybe it started out as a small child that loved to hear about big families and dreamed of having one. God started something in my heart years ago and now I am the Mother who looks forward to Mothers Day. But in a different way not the little girl who was a mistake from two people. I didn't care for Mothers Day or for that matter Fathers Day and to even hear the word "Family Tree" would totally cringe. Now I am the adult Mother who looks forward to Mothers Day celebrations. In spite of all that "junk" and all those mixed up feelings as a child came a huge desire to be a Mother. So now for a visual and yes I am being a copy cat from his sermon I spoke of earlier.

The last two that we have had would be considered our "quiverfull minded" babies, but to make it easier and not sound so -out there- we just call them blessings!