Monday, February 6, 2012

From 3 to 4 Kids

So, my party-line now when asked, and it's true, as far as numbers go, going from 3 kids to 4 kids has not seemed as hard as the change from 2 to 3 kids was for us.

Now this newest child is adopted from Ethiopia, and joining our family at age 3, rather than newborn, so there are a lot of challenges associated with all that.  But, I'm just talking numbers of children here.  

To us 4 is a lot, but the good news is that 3 kids felt like a lot, too, so 4 is not that different.  It's loud and chaotic and messy, but it was before the 4th child, too!

However, that being said, as a mom, each time we've added a new child to our family, there has been the worry for me of, "Will there be enough attention to go around?"

Sometimes it feels like the answer to that question is "no".  I end some days wishing I'd had more one-on-one time with a particular child.  My lap is never big enough at story time for all the children who want to sit there.  My children often have to be told to wait their turn to talk to me because a sibling already has my attention.

But, when the guilt rolls over me, and I feel inadequate, I can cling to the truth that God multiplies what little we offer.  His math is not conformed to our multiplication tables or addition and subtraction rules.  In Mark 6, God takes 5 loaves and 2 fish and feeds 5,000 people! 

In Mark 6:42 it says, "And they all ate and were satisfied."  So, they didn't just eat, they ate enough to be satisfied.  AND there were even left-overs!  Oh how this mama loves a meal with some left-overs!

The God that did that New Testament miracle is still in power today!

No matter how many kids I have I'm going to fall short every single day, so I'm praying for God to fill in the gaps for my children.  I'm grateful to know He can!




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5 comments:

  1. What precious children! They are blessed to have a mom who spends time with them and ultimately entrusts them to God.

    Hope you have a great day!

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  2. Your kids are SOOOO cute!!! =D and they are blessed to have you as their mama! :)

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  3. God bless you, and your sweet children.

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  4. I am sure it is hard to divide the time equally amongst your children. Don't be too hard on yourself; God will continue to give you the strength to raise these precious children.

    Thank you for sharing your grateful heart with us this week.

    Love & peace,
    Iris

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  5. Congratulations on your newest blessing! We haven't adopted but I have found that the jump from 2 to 3 children was the hardest. After 3, it seemed things were not harder at all, just louder. :D

    With 8 children, I don't have the time to give the same individual attention I gave when we only had 1 or 2. But God works it all out. Do we blow it? Sure. But I DELIGHT to see how love MULTIPLIES according to the number of children we have. And He definitely keeps us filled up to meet the needs of growing families!

    Blessings to you!
    Kate

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