Gifts from God
2007 at 3:06 pm | by Janelle BradshawRecently one of our readers sent us these wonderful thoughts on a quote from Elizabeth Prentiss’s book, Stepping Heavenward. They seemed a fitting post in light of the arrival of baby Tori. Thanks Stacy!
Today was one of those days. One of those days where the caring of my precious children seemed more like a duty than a delight. After a full day and evening of church, and a short night of sleep due to a crying toddler, I was disheartened to find my children did not make up for a late evening by sleeping in. Instead, they were up early and rearing to go! With the duties of a new week awaiting me, laundry and dishes ever plentiful, I was not in the most joyous mood as I prepared breakfast for my family. I murmured a prayer for God to help me and give me grace to be patient and loving with my family as I scraped mashed up banana into the trash can. It was then that the Spirit convicted me of my complaining attitude and self-pity as I remembered a quote from Elizabeth Prentiss that I had read the night before in her book, Stepping Heavenward.
She had just found out she was expecting her third baby and was delighted. Her sister-in-law, however, had a different outlook; much like the one I can be so prone to have.
“She says I shall now have one mouth the more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music, and drawing. Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ’s name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers!”(Stepping Heavenward, p.228-229)
The world says that children are a burden. The Bible tells us they are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3). The world tells us that our significance is found in making a name for ourselves. The Bible tells us that we are to make God’s name great, in whatever He has called us to do. I need to remember, in however mundane the task, that God has bestowed on me the high and holy honor of raising children to live for His glory. May we embrace our calling as Mrs. Prentiss did, with great joy and purpose, making a willing sacrifice of time, love and leisure for the sake of the precious children the Lord has entrusted to us.
