Can an Unexpected Baby Change a Family?

This Sunday, our family will be celebrating Mallory’s seventh birthday.Her birth is not only the celebration of her life, but of every child that has been born after her. We celebrate seven years with four more babies than we had planned.

Before Mallory was even a thought, Ken and I had “decided” that two children was enough. Two kids is a good round number. They would be assured of plenty of parental attention. Whenever we were out and about,we could each keep tabs on one child. They would each have a playmate. We thought this was the best thing for our family. A family of four. Perfect. Or so we thought. So, we were prepared for life as a family of four.

Enter Mallory.

Months of morning sickness, the thought of another horrendous hospital birth, an over-crowded floating home on a lake, more mouths to feed on a very small income . . .what is God thinking??? Does He not know our situation?

Realization sets in. He knows better than we do?! How arrogant of us to think that we know better than Almighty God. Of course He can provide for every child He creates.

Of course He can give Ken and I strength and wisdom to parent every child He gives us. Of course. How could we believe any different? How merciful He is to override our plans to limit our family size! Our minds have been transformed. We know, WE KNOW, that every child is a GIFT from God. We ask Him for more children because they are blessings, the very best blessings He bestows upon us. And God is faithful. Not only has He shown us time and time again how much He cares for our family by providing for every need and nearly every want, He also continues to gently guide our thinking and conform us to the image of His Son.

We are so thankful that God had other plans. We are so grateful that He allowed us to see the audacity of our own limited thinking.We are so amazed that He continues to entrust these incredible children into our hands.We are awed by the grace He provides as He daily trains us to be parents.We are humbled by the enormous responsibility we have to not only train our children, but to train them to train their own children, who will in turn train their children to serve the Lord. We are inspired by the beauty of our children’s blossoming character and the future of Christianity that they represent. This world NEEDS our children. This world NEEDS your children.

As I sit here in tears thanking God for His mercy upon me, for His goodness in giving such abundant blessings to us, I also pray that He will continue to give Ken and I the grace to raise these beautiful children to be powerhouses in this world — that they will be bright lights in this ever-darkening place. Thank you, Lord, for Mallory. Thank you for this child that has literally transformed our family for generations to come. Because of her, we will raise an ARMY for the Lord. And thank you for Abby, for Madison, for Gabriel, for Marjorie, for Emmele, and for all of those blessings yet to come. We are richly, richly blessed!