My wife and I have gotten stared at for 15 years of marriage.  From walking around the NCSU campus married and pregnant (we just thought that's what married people did!), to having our second, third, forth, fifth, and sixth kid, it seems that we draw people's attention. 

Actually at times it can be quite funny.  We used to have a Ford Windstar so old that it only had the one side door.  I would watch people in parking lots who were staring as our five kids (at the time) were getting out.  You could see them counting our kids one-by-one like it was the clown car at the circus and they couldn't believe how many kids we had stuffed in there!  Their eyes would get wider and wider.  The "clown car" is now an inside joke between my wife and I. 

But some of the comments aren't so funny.  I get tired of the "are you Catholic?" or "don't you know what causes that?" we hear on a regular basis.  Voddie Baucham talks about the mother who's walks into church and has people stare disapprovingly.  Sad to say (especially in church) but it happens.  We've gotten some of those stares at churches we've visited. 

I will smile and agree with the people who laugh with us and call us crazy.  It is crazy - in a fun sort of way.  And I thank the people who do nice things for us.  Like Greg at Chick-fil-A who smiles and brings my kids a special ice cream treat.  (You da man!  I love visiting Mayberry.)  But there are also many days when my wife and I get weary and discouraged trying to juggle six kids. 

All that said, I'll tell you why my wife and I have a lot of children. 

A century ago, large families were needed to work the farms.  Most familes were agricultural and the parents needed the children to help work the fields.  Check this out.  Today we're no different.  We still have fields to work.  Except the fields today are the fields Jesus talks about.  My wife and I want to send out many laborers into the "fields" of people in this world.  We hope that we can raise a family who does our part to transform our culture.  She and I felt that calling from the day we got married and have tried to live in obedience.  (Definitely not perfectly because we're imperfect people.  I have made many mistakes along the way.)

It's tiring and I can easily grow discouraged.  (Example, this morning my 14 year yelled at me telling me that he hated me.  I made him get up to fullfill something that he begged me to let him sign up for.)   But late at night when I'm making my way to bed and I'm upstairs looking in on and praying for six sleeping kids, all seems right with the world.  And nothing could bring me more joy. 

And yes, I do know what causes that.  It's the best part!