Shortly after Silas was born, Jeff made a run to Walmart with the three older children. In the checkout line, the checker looked at him, at the three young children, and at the newborn diapers and other new baby purchases on the conveyor belt. She raised her eyebrows and said in a disapproving tone, "There's another?"
"Yes. Just born Tuesday," he answered. Jeff said she didn't congratulate him. He told me this at the dinner table, and it reminded me of what I had read in the Word recently:
"[God] rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent."
(Psalm 107:41-42)
I told my kids that not everyone values what God values.
I am the oldest of seven children, and the last five were born in four and one half years. We've made quite a spectacle for some time. When I was a kid, my family would go out together, and inevitably people would come up and make comments. There were two kinds of comments that we got.
Some people would exclaim what nice children we were, and how much they enjoyed seeing a big family.
But occasionally, some bitter-looking person would walk up to my mother and spit out how stupid she was for having so many children!
At this point in my story, Isaiah interrupted me (highly offended). "And did Mima kick 'em into the street?"
"What?!" I said, laughing. "No, Mima didn't kick them into the street! Why would she do that?"
"Well, if they were being mean..."
"Have you ever known Mima to kick anyone into the street?" I asked him.
"No ...but what should we do to them? What about putting something into their face and never taking it out of their face?" He really wanted guidance on what kind of vengeance we should take against these Mima-insulters.
"Is that what you think Jesus would do?" I asked.
"No..." Isaiah reluctantly conceded.
But Elisa piped up at this point (having a greater understanding of the just recompense of the wicked).
"He would put them into hell," she declared in her soft princess voice.
"Yes. Just born Tuesday," he answered. Jeff said she didn't congratulate him. He told me this at the dinner table, and it reminded me of what I had read in the Word recently:
"[God] rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent."
(Psalm 107:41-42)
I told my kids that not everyone values what God values.
I am the oldest of seven children, and the last five were born in four and one half years. We've made quite a spectacle for some time. When I was a kid, my family would go out together, and inevitably people would come up and make comments. There were two kinds of comments that we got.
Some people would exclaim what nice children we were, and how much they enjoyed seeing a big family.
But occasionally, some bitter-looking person would walk up to my mother and spit out how stupid she was for having so many children!
At this point in my story, Isaiah interrupted me (highly offended). "And did Mima kick 'em into the street?"
"What?!" I said, laughing. "No, Mima didn't kick them into the street! Why would she do that?"
"Well, if they were being mean..."
"Have you ever known Mima to kick anyone into the street?" I asked him.
"No ...but what should we do to them? What about putting something into their face and never taking it out of their face?" He really wanted guidance on what kind of vengeance we should take against these Mima-insulters.
"Is that what you think Jesus would do?" I asked.
"No..." Isaiah reluctantly conceded.
But Elisa piped up at this point (having a greater understanding of the just recompense of the wicked).
"He would put them into hell," she declared in her soft princess voice.
