"Every home was a brick in the great wall of decent living that men
erected over and over again as a bulwark against the perpetual
flooding in of evil. But women made the bricks, and the durableness of
each civilization depended upon their quality, and it was no good
weakening oneself for the brick-making by thinking too much about the
flood." ~Elizabeth Goudge, The Pilgrim’s Inn
This really went right to the heart of what I've been struggling with
lately - fear over our country and what the future holds for my
children (i.e. what kind of a world am I bringing them into anyway; it
seems bad enough that I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, let alone my
own children). Satan creeps in with his lies at this point to say: “it's
better not to have them.”
However, they are truly what does make this world good. The laughter
and loving kindness of the children that gives and gives, in a way
that puts me to shame. (Of course, they have their selfish moments -
we all do.) Yet, if my daughter is such a wellspring of joy in our lives, how
much richer does one's life become with the addition of each new
child.
Finally, my questions were answered through this scripture reading.
"Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did
not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not
also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge
against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the
right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us
from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are
looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39.
Which is to say that yes, we and our children will have sufferings to
endure. Yet, we should not be afraid. We have courage, for Jesus
Christ himself will plead our case before God. And if we trust in Him,
and His Infinite Mercy, why should we fear?
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2 comments:
Amen!
I love to remember (and need to remember quite frequently) these two lovely quotes from our most recent popes:
"Be Not Afraid!" (Pope John Paul II, of course)
and
"The One Who Has Hope Lives Differently." (Pope Benedict XVI)
Those two quotes are very important. For without both we cannot finish what God has for us.
He is our constant companion and guide unless we forget him then when hope waynes and it will we loose life inch by inch.
To many inches (I've been down that road) and it doesn't matter how it gets started chemically, environmentally, medically, in poor relationships or a combination of. You can't get up from that without a constant savior by your side whether it's a combination of loved ones and angels or just the Lord himself.
You become incapable/incopacitated in an additional sense.
Yes I mean well beyond "oh get over it", "your feeling sorry for yourself", "pull yourself together, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get on with it", "a little harder work is what you need", "that's what you need to be busy", Are some of the worse things you can tell a person suffering in this manner. You only add to the problem. And prevent healing.
But back to the original comment. Worring about bringing or having brought children into this world is a concept of societies ills and part of the solution is to bring them in as God designed. And Keep bringing them in. God will sustain the hope and he will look for his lost sheep.
Protect them some but more so teach them and let them see from their somewhat protected, educated, guided, thought through choices and mistakes. the values we show them in our living choices. Well before they have to face them.
1st and formost strength is a marital - parental relationship which is securely on the same page before the vows, again before the children, then again when the children bless them, and again and again.
No matter how good your communication and connection is with your children while young if your husband/wife has cracks (it will) that are not immediately attended to with respect and value in the other. Then the youth will someday (usually in early teens & 20s) fall outside the values and life with Christ Just when they are facing those life long decisions. The heart and soul of the woman makes no difference if the heart of the man is not one with her and she with him. They will fall as St. Monica experienced and in the greatest of numbers they will follow the father's witness not the mothers. Not that men are always the ones off road, and nor do they carry all of the offence. "The sins of the parents will be carried by the generations to come."
Lord I pray have mercy on my children and children's children for they know not what they do. It is I to do what you will with me. Listen not to my complaints and the easing of suffering lest my children be lost and their children for my mistakes."
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