In October 2001, I became a mother for the first time. But even before that I spent lots of time with my niece and nephew, and before that I doted on my little cousins. For most of my life I have had the blessing of children to love on and be entertained by. Today however marks a new season. Eighteen years ago today our third and last baby boy was born. Suddenly I find myself surrounded by men — men who can vote and be drafted and go to jail.

The blessing is that my three sons, who brought so much laughter to my last couple decades, are amazing men. I mean they are sinners like everyone else, but I am proud of how thoughtful and intelligent they’ve become. They are driven and faith-filled. Plus they know that I always love to hear a funny story.

The world may relentlessly sow seeds of dissatisfaction, telling you that you can’t be happy unless you have this or that. But I believe the best thing you can do, after deciding to live for Jesus of course, is to have a family. A family is a sanctifying gift that brings joy and meaning beyond measure. Nothing compares. I’ve had the opportunity to see many facets of life: I’ve oddly had a high paying job in a prestigious law firm. I’ve rubbed elbows with people in various professions who have achieved tremendous success. I’ve taken some incredible vacations. I’ve attended some very glamorous events. But nothing compares to the joy of being a mother. The social media movement touting the supposed freedom of being childless is just another joy-robbing scheme of the devil. Sadly, many DINKs (dual income, no kids) will come to their senses when it’s too late, and they won’t be able to enjoy being DIAKs (dual income, adult kids). Yes, I made that up but I kind of like it!

That doesn’t mean that parenting is easy. Obviously it’s not. Motherhood requires sacrifice, and we are always going to make mistakes. We will wound the little people we aim to love. We will let them give up when they should persevere, and we will push them when we should call it a day. Sometimes we will choose the wrong battles. Sometimes we will fail to recognize what they need. But we will learn so much trying, and so will they. We will grow more reliant on the Lord. We will grow increasingly convinced that He is sovereign and that we cannot orchestrate any particular outcome. We will be forced to pry our stubborn fingers from their futile efforts to control, and hand our children over to God. We will do this again and again, even when they are adults.

In the midst of this, the family bond will be reinforced through the best and worst moments. Together, we will witness that God uses it all for our good and His glory.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Blessings,

Kristie

P.S. The pain of wanting a family and not having one is not a topic that I could possibly tackle, but I am praying tonight for the those who face this heartache. I also have been blessed by wonderful people in my life who invested in others as a parent-like figure. This too is a reflection of God’s design and I am grateful for that influence.