Called To Be Living Sacrifices

After Ryan and Erin had been married only several months, he came to me and quietly said, "Erin is pregnant."  I cried.  I jumped up and hugged him.  I was so excited!  Would I have reacted this way if Ryan had told me they were expecting their fourth, fifth, or even sixth child?

Nancy Campbell questioned the wisdom of mothers counseling their daughters to stop having babies after they have two children.   ~

When parents speak disparagingly when their daughters are pregnant {again}, they often say these things because they love their daughters and don't want them to have extra work or sleepless nights. They speak out of concern and love. But, in doing so, they miss God's heart. They do it because they do not think God's way. They only see things from a human point of view. Therefore, they are an obstacle in God's eternal plans, and they deprive their daughters of many blessings, not only for this life, but for eternity. What a challenge.

Many people counsel young married couples to wait awhile to have children.  Get an education.  Get a career.  Travel and see the world.  Save up money and buy a home.  This is what the world says.  God says the purpose of marriage is to produce godly offspring.  He tells us to be fruitful and multiply.

We must stop thinking and reasoning as the world does and find the heart of God and what He wants.  He tells us children are a gift and a blessing.  He tells us He is our protector and provider for whom shall we fear.  He tells us He will always be with us and never leave us.

Sure childbearing is difficult.  There are a lot of risks, sleepless nights, pain, suffering, heartache, and exhaustion.  But who said life would be easy?  There is also a lot of joy, laughter, and satisfaction in obeying God and living according to His Word instead of the world's wisdom.

We walk the narrow path.  We are called to be living sacrifices.  Erin is a living sacrifice right now.  She is very sick at the beginning of her pregnancies and she isn't that tall so the babies kick her a lot as they are swimming inside of her.  When she brought Emma home, however, after a difficult labor, she looked up at Ryan and exclaimed, "I want more!"

Child raising is hard.  It takes a lot out of a mother but you are storing your treasures in heaven and whatever God asks you to do, He gives you the power to do it. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1,2

The picture is Alyssa, one of my readers, with her husband and son.  
She wants to be a living sacrifice and writes about it HERE.