The other day as I was getting my six children and myself ready for our weekly grocery shopping trip, I was mentally preparing myself for the usual onslaught of questions, comments, and stares. "How shall I answer today?" I contemplated. "Nice, polite, and sweet? Sarcastic? Jokingly? Referring to God?" I take many approaches and it gets interesting. But then it struck me. I have never asked God how I should respond. So I did. "Lord, what should I say to all these people? Some are nice, some are shocked, some are downright rude and disgusting. How would You have me answer in a way that glorifies You?"
Nothing came to me that day so I just went on with business as usual. I told people I was lucky, that God had blessed me, that I loved my life, etc. Then yesterday it came to me. "Praise the Lord." I praise the Lord for my children every day, so why not praise the Lord for them then too? Yes, that could answer almost everything:
Are they all yours? Yes, praise the Lord!
You have your hands full! Yes, I do--praise the Lord!
How do you do it? Praise the Lord--I couldn't do it without Him!
Even.... Don't you know what causes that? Why yes I do--praise the Lord!
I realized that praising the Lord is the perfect answer. It gives God the glory for my precious children and it lets people know that I believe they are blessings from Him.
Last night as I was going to bed and smiling about my new answer, a line from a song suddenly popped into my head. "He makes the barren woman become a joyful mother, and the home she lives in is filled with laughter, so praise ye the Lord." Then I remembered Psalm 113:9.
He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!
WOW! Not only is that the perfect answer, but it is how God WANTS us to respond to this blessing of abiding in our homes as joyful mothers! As we fix our eyes on Him and His Word, our natural response to this calling should be PRAISE THE LORD!
JOYFUL MOTHER
By Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison
Hannah knelt before the Lord
Her lips moved with the anguish of her soul
Grant me my desire Lord
Give to me a son that I can hold
She never stopped asking for her miracle
God was faithful, He remembered her
Chorus:
He makes the barren woman
Become a joyful mother
And the home she lives in
Is filled with laughter so praise ye the Lord
It seemed to be impossible
Sarah wondered how this could be true
God had promised she would be
A mother, but her years had passed too soon
But there’s a perfect timing to God’s plan
The King of Kings would come through her Son
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things on Heaven and on earth.
4 comments:
You go, girl! I thought of you this past weekend when we got the "hands full" comment a couple times, with (only) THREE children. Multiply that times 2, and I can only imagine the comments you get. I used the "we're very blessed" approach, but maybe I'll have to try your way!
There is a lady that comes to the bank (through the drive thru, of course!) who has four children. Two of my coworkers are in amazement each time she comes. They're always saying they can't imagine how she does it, that she's crazy, that they could never have four kids.
I always always always think of you when she comes in and the things that my coworkers say. I have tried to get them to stop saying these things, but they don't listen to me lol
I love your inspired comeback. I also love that song by Serene and Pearl. I have listened to their CD's hundreds of times and still tune into them while making dinner to soothe all of us. It renews me too - bolsters my sense of purpose. Above Rubies has been such a blessing.
Thanks for this great post. Have a great day with your little ones!
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