THEY NEARLY MISSED GOD'S BLESSINGS
This last weekend Colin and I were speaking at the Above Rubies Family Retreat in Louisiana. A lovely family with eight children organized the retreat. They confessed they could never have done it without their children who all worked so hard to make it happen. The whole family led the worship and played their instruments, and one of their sons fasted one meal a day for many months to pray for the retreat.
Just before we all left, the father asked his family to stand up with him and his wife. He then began to share how that after they had four children they had much pressure from their parents and friends in the church to not to have any more children. He confessed how if he had listened to them they would not have their last four beautiful children. And he asked them to walk away.
He then shared how that when they had their daughter, that once again parents and friends urged them to stop having more children. "Now that you have your daughter, you don't need any more," they persisted. By this time the father was weeping as he asked his beautiful daughter to walk away.
This couple have always been very interested in missions. However, many missions demand a contact to be signed that they will not have any children, or at least not more than two children. If they had gone ahead with their Missions vision they would not have their third son and the father asked him to walk away.
At the beginning of their marriage, this father didn't want any children. Because of the indoctrination of his professors at college regarding the zero population growth he was convinced that you shouldn't bring children into the world. However, his wife longed for children and eventually God opened His eyes to His truth. If he had listened to his professors and the indoctrination that is prevalent today, he would not have had any children and he asked his two oldest sons to walk away.
The husband and wife were left standing together as the father continued to weep. The impact of watching their children gradually leave them was incredible. They nearly missed the enormous blessing of their eight children who are growing up in the ways of God, who shine with the glory of the Lord, and who are now helping them in the work of the Lord as they minister together as a family. Satan didn't win this victory, but he wins in thousands of Christian families all over this country.
May God save His people from deception.
Love from Nancy Campbell
I love that illustration and we have often thought the same thing. Coming from a family of 12 children, we had a lot of comments also about having too many children and my Dad used to say, which ones should we get rid of? I can't imagine my life without any of my brothers and sisters and am so thankful for each of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, Darlene, it was good.
Love,
Gloria