I sat in the waiting room at the pediatrician’s office with my newborn. Across from me sat a mother with two rambunctious boys and a new baby adorned in pink. As we chatted, her sons’ behaviors escalated. Finally, when she could take it no longer, she shouted, “Boys, STOP IT!” She gave a deep sigh, rolled her eyes, and curtly said to me, “We’re done having kids. We’ve got our girl now and we are done!” Her voice was mixed with anger and frustration and a tone of relief. As she got up to leave, I held my newborn close. I felt sad. Her words had hurt me somehow. I wondered if I would feel that way one day — so fed up with motherhood that I might blurt out to a stranger, “This is our last. We’re done!”
All About Perspective
When I was little girl, I often heard women ask my mom the question I am often asked now, “How many children do you plan to have?”
Her response always pointed to the Lord in some way. As a young child, it made me feel loved when I heard her say things like, “We want whatever God wants for our family.” I knew she considered my life and the lives of my brothers as gifts from God.
Now that I’m a young mom, my mom’s perspective gives me strength. Even though her pregnancies weren’t always easy, she trusted that God was sovereign over her womb. She had five c-sections and while pregnant with me, was on strict bed rest for months when my life hung in the balance. She knew fear, especially after her pregnancy with me, but she trusted in the God who had a plan beyond what she could see.
Castleberry Hearts 