all my children
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:17
If you ever wonder how much God loves you or how often He think of you, all you need to do is remember this verse. His thoughts for you and your children are precious and countless. What a gift!
After I accepted Jesus as the Lord of my life, one of the first things that changed was my desire to be a mom. When Mike and I got married, he knew I didn’t want to have children. I loved children, but I didn’t want any of my own because I was scared. What if my children got made fun of, bullied, or hurt in some way? What if I couldn’t protect them? I honestly didn’t think my heart could handle that. Once I got saved, though, I had a different outlook. God changed my heart and exchanged fear with faith.
We have five children, three of whom are in heaven. We miscarried our first baby, and months later we got pregnant with our first son, Jacob. Little brother Joel was born just over two years later, followed by Jared, whom we lost when I was just under 20 weeks pregnant. Our fifth child was Danielle (Dani). Dani was born with a rare chromosomal abnormality and died two months and six days after she was born. Each of my children is a gift, and I am thankful for every one of them.
Before Dani was born, a friend mentioned to me that she had asked the Lord to give her a word for each of her children while she was pregnant. I loved the idea and decided I would do that as well. The verse above is a reminder of how God sees us and how lovingly He thinks of us. When we ask Him I believe He will help us see our children with His eyes, and He will give us a word of encouragement for each one.
For our first baby, whom we lost early in our pregnancy, the word I received was “I (God) am in control.” While I make daily decisions, God is ultimately in control of everything. I can choose to trust Him, or I can try to manipulate my circumstances. The first choice brings peace; the second brings stress. For Jacob, the Lord gave me the word “joy”, which describes my son perfectly. He sees the bright side of every situation and the good in every person. For Joel, God gave me the word “love”; Joel loves deeply and has a smile that makes others feel welcome, seen, and cared for. The Lord gave me the word “strength” for Jared. God’s strength carried me through the loss of our son. For Dani, the Lord gave me the word “miracle”. Medically speaking, she was not supposed to live, but God made a way for her to come into the world. Her short life impacted many and continues to do so.
I am so blessed with two beautiful daughters-in-luv. Having these incredible women in my life is one of my greatest joys. The word God put on my heart for my girls is “treasure”. These lovely ladies are of great worth and value to me our family.
The words God has given me for each of my children are gifts straight from the Father’s heart. They are reminders that all my children are unique and loved and seen by God and me.
From The Joy of Being Mom Devotional