Thursday, October 18, 2007

on olives

Well, vacation was wonderful. We had a really fun visit with the Woody's. I actually tried to post some highlights and pictures of the trip several times, but kept getting an error message so I give up! Sorry. The kids did really well- nobody threw up in the truck and we got to relax on the lovely screened porch and drink lots of coffee and talk while the kids stayed busy playing hard for hours. That's the gist of it. It took me several days to sort of get back into the swing of things, but now we're back to normal. Last Friday night we had the 2nd annual Vander Wall/Terpstra pumpkin painting extravaganza with Derek, Jennie, and their 3 boys. It's a good thing we fit that in last week because Monday Jennie gave birth to boy number 4!!!! Welcome Titus John!


Speaking of babies- NOOOO, I am not making an announcement!!!!! Actually, I've just been doing a lot of thinking about children and how I can tell the world what God says about children. As I was grocery shopping with the kids a couple of days ago I received more than the usual amount of comments. Some days you here things like, "what a beautiful family." More often it's that look of pity or even disgust along with "you sure have your hands full" or "you must be busy" or "haven't figured out how that happens yet, huh?" The easy thing is just to kind of laugh and agree, but I don't want to do that anymore. Now that I have finally realized that these comments aren't going to end anytime soon, I know that I need to come up with a kind, but clever answer! I want the world to see that children ARE a blessing and a reward! While I am often tired and probably too often crabby, I feel honored to be the mother of 4 precious children and I need to try harder to be a witness of God's faithfulness and goodness when I am out in public with these kids. When people see a flustered, stressed mom they don't see children as a blessing. For the most part the world thinks of children as a burden. Yes, they are a great responsibility, but burden? No! I am happy and blessed to be living the life that I dreamed of as a little girl. I always hoped to be married to a Godly man and to be a mother. Of course, it isn't quite the fairy tale version I had in my head once. It's actually better. Because it's real.


If you have any ideas about something I can respond to the public with that would be great! I'm open to ideas- just remember, I'm trying to be nice:)


One of my favorite Psalms is 128. I love the part about children being olive plants all around your table. Here is what Matthew Henry said of verse 3- "It is pleasant to parents who have a table spread, though but with ordinary fare, to see their children round about it, and not scattered, or the parents forced from them. Parents love to have their children at table, to keep up the pleasantness of the table-talk, to have them in health, craving food and not physic, to have them like olive-plants, straight and green, sucking in the sap of their good education." How blessed I am to have these children all around the table! I have been wanting for some time to get a picture of an olive tree or plant to put on the wall in the dining room. Last week I found one, ordered it, and as soon as it came Pete hung it up- it's a wonderful visual reminder in our home of one of the things God's word says about children!

4 comments:

Middle-Aged Moi said...

I've been known to say, "Yes, they ARE all mine, and they are such a blessing." Once I said, "yeah, and this is just four of them." 'Cause the guy was kinda rude. :-)

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. Just wait until we have a little one from China. Oh, the comments! Makes my head ache....:-)

dkt said...

I sometimes respond to the "boy, you're busy" or "you've got your hands full" comments with, "yup! But my trials are fewer than my sins" I'm not sure what people think though! :-)

Racine said...

I like that picture! Very nice choice.

Laurie said...

Ok, I'm bummed that the trip to Champaign on the 13th didn't make the blog. :(