Day Twenty-Nine:
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
I have a friend who has eleven children. The questions she most often gets at introductions is ‘are they all your biological children?’, ‘are they all from the same father?’, and ‘are any of them twins?’. To which, she answers yes to the first two questions and no to the last one. Another interesting and amazing fact about this lady is that she had all of those babies at home with a midwife present. She had one by a breech birth and still was able to have it at home with a midwife. And, incredibly, she has home schooled all eleven.
Four of her children are now out of the home and living their various lives. Some of them have degrees and all of them have great jobs and a promising future. I would say this friend of mine has been very busy, very industrious and very fruitful. God told us to be fruitful and she took Him at His word. She has given the modern version of parenthood something to place in their record books. She keeps amazing me with her energy and creativity. While I don’t have any children of my own, I know what it feels like to love a baby so much that you might keep wanting a baby – over and over – even so much that you keep having babies over and over.
While I doubt my friend will receive any rewards on this earth for her amazing accomplishments in raising this large family, I am absolutely certain that God will reward her when she reaches paradise. The light she’s shined into this world with her offerings, her inspiration, her gifts, is much brighter than the lights that come from those who merely create, say, a book or a poem. While I love to write I can see why she loved those babies even more than any other venture she might have taken. While I struggle to understand how she’s accomplished such a feat, I know that she never struggles with the joy that comes to her when she touches the cheek of one of her children.
My friend has given her gift, her babies, her time and effort. In the process of her giving, though, she has been given back a gift that is beyond words. The gift of eleven wondering minds, eleven amazing hearts, and eleven lights for the Lord who will shine hope through this world. Her eleven babies are being taught about Jesus, about joy, about the abundance of a life lived for the One who created the heavens and the earth and each one of us. Her eleven children are the outpouring of a love that is beyond description and it is, throughout life, a gift that will continue to give to my friend, a peace in knowing that she most certainly has done the right thing.
She has given this world a piece of her heart, a spark of her light, a gift that blesses and is blessed more than words can show. While I will never be able to understand the many moments of hope and faith, fear and worry, joy and grace that she has experienced, I do understand that the life she is living is much more than purposeful. The life she chose, the love she is offering, the wonder in her wonderful, reflect the love that was given to each one of us when God sent us His Son to make a way for each one of us.
Never stop living your dreams. I believe that God inspires those dreams and, if you reach for the stars, you’ll discover the twinkle of grace that only He could have offered to the heart who sincerely believes – with Him beside us, we can live a life of purpose, a life meant to honor Him, a life that is filled with our own ‘babies’ and our own light, the love that only He could have sparked.
A Prayer & A Promise:
Dear Lord, Thank You for showing me, through family and friends, that each one of us has a purpose and whatever we do – whether we have eleven babies or merely walk through this world encouraging those friends who are hurting – we are intended to honor You with our gifts and our lives, our hearts and our souls, our reasons and our hope. Because of You, my precious Savior, I know what it is to hope and dream and believe. And, because of You, dear Lord, I know a love that is beyond my wildest dreams. Thank You, Lord, for giving me the chance to change from one who was living without purpose to one who is giving all that I have to this love and worship. I love You, Jesus, forever.
“Love is not about property, diamonds, and gifts. It is about sharing your very self with the world around you.” — Pablo Neruda