I had such a sweet opportunity to share with a woman about children and their role in demonstrating the gospel to the world. I realize more and more the simple lack of connection that so many people have, and so I’m more eager these days to just drop a seed and let God water it.
I was alone, sitting in the waiting room. The lady beside me began talking and eventually asked me if this was my first baby. “Glad you’re sitting down”, I joked. When I told her it was my ninth, she was truly shocked. And the questions began.
There was no hint of disdain in her voice, just sheer curiosity. She was open. She truly wanted answers about this “bizarre” reality. And she appeared to be a Christian.
So I answered:
“We just believe that children are a heritage from the Lord. And along with that, they help paint the true picture of Christ the Groom and His bride, the Church.”
“How do you mean?” She asked.
“Well, God established marriage to be a physical picture of Christ and the church. In short, it’s a “mini-church” meant to reflect, in every aspect, the relationship between Christ and His bride.
And what is the one thing most churches desire?
To grow. To increase in numbers. They recruit new members, they evangelize, they advertise, they do everything they can to grow the church–both their local body and the greater body.
How can we expect the Lord to bless our efforts there if we refuse to allow Him to grow the family as He sees fit, in order to demonstrate this parallel in a physical sense?
Isn’t it hypocritical to refuse new members into the family but beg for them in the church? To turn away “visitors”, potential disciples, from our marriage union? Would we want to be known as “the church that turns away visitors?“
If we don’t allow the evidence of consummation in our marriages, aren’t we leaving out part of the gospel as we are called to paint the picture, as Christ will consummate His marriage with us, His Bride, on the last day, and the “fruit” of that consummation will be revealed to all?”
The woman stared at me. I was hoping she wasn’t mad, hoping that I spoke gently and without accusation in my voice.
“I have been a Christian for 19 years and I have NEVER heard of that or thought of that in my life, and it makes so much sense”, she said slowly.
Praise God for Divine Appointments.
Christie is one of my blog readers and a couple of weeks ago, I received the following email from her:
Weeds don’t take long to crop up. At first they’re manageable. But left for very long, they will overtake the garden and make it almost impossible to salvage. We have to keep the weeds out as they crop up!
1. She does her husband good and his heart safely trusts her.
