When Anne was pregnant with her eighth child, she was extremely ill with morning sickness all nine months. She had a very difficult time handling her ill health mentally. {So much of being able to handle physical ill health is mental, I have found.} She asked herself these questions. "How much is a human life worth? How much pain and sorrow is one life worth? How much would I suffer for one human life? Would I get pregnant and do this all again for one more human life? How much is a life worth to God? How much suffering did Jesus endure?"
She decided that there is no limit to the value God puts on a life, no price too high to pay, no suffering too severe. One day she heard God's loving voice."Thank you for being available. Without you, I couldn't bring this child of of destiny into the world."
When I think of my four children, every nauseous moment and every painful contraction was well worth giving them life. God tells us that the purpose of marriage is to produce godly offspring. He created women to bear children. He commanded that we be fruitful and multiply. We are also told that we are to be living sacrifices, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" {Romans 12:1}.
Our life down on earth is not our own. It isn't to be used for our own pleasure and purposes. We are here to glorify the Lord and use our gifts, talents, and yes, even our body for the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him {Colossians 3:17}. Bringing children into the world and raising them to know Jesus pleases the Lord. This is what He has asked us to do. Yes, there is pain and suffering in the process, but we do it as an act of obedience and love for Him.
