One of the many issues that crop up in Christian circles, and especially in Christian homeschooling circles is the issue of whether to get involved in controlling the size of one's family, or whether to "surrender control of our family size over to the Lord." I'll admit it; when you put it like that, it sounds like those who choose this path are the righteous ones and those who do not just aren't willing to give it all to Him.
I have certainly wrestled with that question myself. We have four children, and the youngest was born shortly after I turned 35. As tends to happen when a baby gets to be about 2 or 3, I still had some desire for another little one to come along. What's sweeter than a baby? And my 3rd and 4th children are the very best examples I know of why people should consider having more than two. I often find myself thinking, "I wish s0-and-so would consider having another, because she seems like a such a loving mom and I know what a blessing another baby would be for her." And thus I freely recognize that if we had more, they would bless us in ways we couldn't predict.
So during that time when I wasn't quite 40 yet so didn't feel the biological time crunch so acutely, I could have gone either way on whether to expand our family or not. We had not struggled with infertility, my pregnancies were easy, and we are financially blessed, so adding another child to raise was not threatening in any of those ways. Nonetheless, I would have happily had 10 more babies, but the thought of actually raising another child was unsettling. Obviously, I needed to pray about it, and I essentially prayed that the Lord would lead me through my husband's leadership. I asked, "Lord, if you want us to have more, please have him bring it up." And he never said a word.
Yet that concern that perhaps I'm not willing to give the Lord control still plagued me from time to time. Is it unassailable truth, or is it a holier-than-thou phrase used by people who have chosen a difficult, counter-cultural path use to help defend themselves against the many slings and arrows that definitely come their way?
I still don't know the answer to that question, but I know that the Lord did not lead me, through my husband, to continue having children. Here is how I view it now. The Lord created for seven days. He created things that man never even saw for centuries. Microscopic life that was invisible, ocean life that lives at depths that could not be plumbed, rain forest life that was hidden and rarely observed. The diversity of creation is astounding and awe-inspiring in every way.
And then God stopped. He said it was good. Was it because he was out of ideas for new creatures? Hardly. Look at all the creatures finite man has dreamed up in our own imaginations. Did those not occur to God? Could He not have come up with a unicorn or phoenix or manticore or flying horse or whatever if He wanted? Certainly He could have. But He looked at what He had created, He decided it was enough, He said it was good, and He left off creating.
We, thanks to His kindness, procreated. And we have looked at the fruits of our procreation, and it is good, and it is enough, and we have left off. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Comments
Oct. 31, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
That's an awesome post, Carol!