by Pastor Patrick Cho
As far as I can recall, this is the way I found out. Please keep in mind that it was early, I was tired, and so my recollection of events might be a little foggy. If you want the precise account, you may need to ask Christine!
On Sunday morning, I was awakened to a sudden tap on my forehead. It was still about ten minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off, so I was a little bothered at first over the interruption to my sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Christine standing next to me holding something in her hand. As my eyes focused, it looked like a pregnancy test. Before I could say anything, she asked, “I think that’s two lines, right?” I focused my eyes further (I was certainly awake now) and looked at the white stick in her hand. “Yeah, that looks like two lines.” We smiled at each other and hugged.
This is how I found out this past weekend that by God’s grace we were going to have a second child. At this point, it is still very early in the pregnancy, but we are overjoyed. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since Sunday morning! It has been a lot of fun finding creative ways to break the news to parents, family, and friends. Now that the pregnancy is on Facebook, I suppose it is officially official.
Since Sunday morning, anticipating this significant change in life has gotten me to reflect on what the Scriptures say about having kids. Psalm 127 was one passage that immediately came to mind. King Solomon undoubtedly understood the blessing that God intends by providing children. He only wrote two of the Psalms, but dedicated one of them to this theme. Psalm 127 states:
1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Solomon really communicates two major ideas in this Psalm. First, the Lord is the one who builds a house. His sovereignty rules over all and He accomplishes all His purposes, and it would be foolish to attempt any endeavor without the full realization that it will only succeed if God intends it. Because God is sovereign, those who know Him can rest in His sovereignty. Second, children are an incredible gift from the Lord. If the Lord in His sovereignty should allow a couple to have children, it should be received as a wonderful blessing.
Children are a blessing! One clear way we can apply this truth is by having a positive attitude about kids. Sadly, even in the church, too often I hear people tell me they don’t like kids. Sometimes couples will say that they want to put off having kids as long as they can. These kinds of responses manifest a heart that does not trust God’s Word.
Several years ago, I received a gift from a friend but it was something that I really didn’t want. They watched with a smile as I opened the gift, but that smile quickly faded when they realized that I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Unfortunately, I think they could see it in my face. I was acting foolishly. There was nothing wrong with the gift. It wasn’t even a bad gift. If I’m honest, I think most of the disappointment came from my desire for something greater.
As Christians, we need to be careful about the way we treat God in response to His Word. You should feel no disappointment over gifts that come from God, because His will for your life is the best (cf. Rom. 12:2). If children are a gift from the Lord, let us take care not to spurn the gift. Your attitude can and should be adjusted if your view towards children has not been good. We ought to celebrate the gift of life with our families and praise God for His kindness in providing such a wonderful gift.