A Really Scary Blog Post

There is something really scary about raising eight children. What do you think it is?

It isn't the expense of raising so many.

I live in the most prosperous country in the world during the most prosperous time in history. Feeding, clothing and sheltering a large family doesn’t cost a lot, unless you’re trying to keep up with the Joneses. The same God who send mouths, sends us our daily bread.  Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”

No, money is not my concern.

Is it the attention issue?

Am I afraid there isn't enough of me to go around?

No, I’m not worried about that. In God’s perfect method, with each child He gives, there is also a corresponding increase in the number of people within the family—people able to give attention. In other words, each child has not only two parents, but seven siblings. We believe children are a blessing and we delight in who he sends to us.

So what’s scary about all these children?

It's this: God doesn’t just ask us to conceive and bear children.  He doesn't just ask us to go through pregnancy, childbirth, sleepless nights and potty training. Oh no. That’s the easiest part of mothering. We are called to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

It’s a serious responsibility and yes I feel the weight of it.

Responsibility. We may be responsible for many earthly possessions and if we fail in our duty to care for them, life will go on. If we don't care for our vehicles or homes properly they may break down and cost us a lot of money to repair. But unlike earthly treasures our children will live forever in either Heaven or Hell. And that’s scary business.

So what to do? Bury our heads in the sand?

If we ignore the weight of this calling that doesn’t mean it will go away. It is indeed a great responsibility to raise children up who know and love God but changing our minds and deciding not it’s too hard, simply isn’t an option.

Oh, I know how hard some days can be. Days when you find no joy in it,  that string into weeks. But if God calls you to do something, you do it. You don’t whine about it, give it to someone else to do or pretend you didn’t hear.

Deuteronomy 6 has called parents to be the spiritual teachers of their children. The Bible has equipped us for every good work. It is a good work to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He will enable us.

 A simultaneous Saint and sinner, Bambi was saved by grace through faith. She’s a helpmeet to her high school sweetheart and together they are sharpening eight arrows for the glory of God. Bambi spends her days homeschooling, cleaning up messes (external and internal), changing diapers, kissing boo-boos, reading books, and a million other duties she wouldn’t trade for the world. Bambi loves being a keeper at home and shares about her journey of grace in marriage, motherhood and family discipleship on her blog In the Nursery of the Nation. She is passionate about encouraging younger women to depend on Christ alone for their salvation, sanctification and to depend on His Word for the strength and wisdom required for marriage and motherhood.

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