“I just cannot wait get a break from them!”
“Well, we have decided to not have any until I finish all the plans on my dream list. These next several years are ‘ME’ years. I do not want to have to worry about someone else.”
“Enjoy your life now, because when they enter your world, you will not have a moment’s peace. My husband and I cannot wait until they are out of the house!”

If you were to walk into the room and hear these statements from women without knowing exactly what they are talking about, you might wonder if they are talking about an unwanted pet dog or guest. But sadly, I do not think many of you will be shocked if I told you this is a very common discussion about a certain wonderful blessing that God gives to women….their very own children!

Being a young mom, I hear this conversation very, very often. We live in a world that advertises with magazines, TV shows, talk shows, movies and books what our lives, as women, should look like if we want to have a fun and fulfilling life. Women are to fulfill all their dreams of education and travel. They need to have a successful career. They are to be beautiful, skinny models. They are to make a certain amount of money so that they can enjoy all the clothes and accessories that they wish. But where does this leave the children? Children can ruin all these plans! Children can make it to where you cannot travel everywhere you want. Children make you gain a few extra dress sizes and give you stretch marks. You will have to spend a good amount of money on your children, so that leave less money for you to spend as you please on yourself. So, instead of children being a joy added to our lives or a wonderful blessing from God, they are viewed as inconveniences. They are cute, but inconvenient little people that you might wish to have one day, but first you have to make sure that they will not ruin any of your plans before they enter your life. This view of children is so very different than the one God has of them!

In Matthew 19 the disciples were frustrated that little children were being brought to Jesus. Jesus replied “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus knew what blessings children are! He made time for them, even in His own, very busy and important ministry. Probably the most well-known passage about children being a blessing is Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” If you know you are going to receive a gift from a friend on your birthday, you are excited and anxious to open it! You are not dreading to open it or worried how much harder your life will be with this gift you are going to receive. You know that the gift will be special and given to you with love. Once you open the gift and receive it, you treasure and cherish it.

We read over and over again in the bible how children are viewed as very valuable. Sarah was barren for years but God gave her a gift in her old age (Genesis 17:15-16). God saw that Leah was unloved, so he opened her womb and blessed her with many children (Genesis 29). Leah’s sister Rachel was barren, but God “remembered” her and opened her womb (Genesis 30:22). Hannah wept for a child of her own and made a vow to God that if He would bless her with a child, she would give the child to Him. The Lord blessed her with Samuel (1 Samuel 1). These women understood the blessing of children. They did not beg God to bless them with earthly treasures, more “alone” time or the perfect body. They asked God for what they knew would bring joy and blessings to their lives….children to raise in the Lord!

Instead of following this society and viewing children as inconveniences who take up too much of your precious time, we need to help the world to remember what children really are – BLESSINGS! Why would we want this society to mold our view on our children? This is the society that believes it is ethical to murder an unborn child. This society has lost all value in children. If we start treating our children as the gift that they are, we will see that the world is the one missing out in life. God does not give gifts that are curses or frustrations. God’s gifts are the best things in this world that we could ever receive and children happen to be one of His most precious gifts! Let us work on not letting our children be another forgotten blessing!

By Alicia Bookout
Alicia and her husband, Garrett live in Clovis, NM where Garrett is the pulpit minister for 16th and Pile church of Christ. They have one sweet two-year old daughter, Emma and a second little one due in February. Alicia is a stay-at-home wife and mother. They both graduated from the Bear Valley Institute of Denver.