children: a blessing from the LORD

i woke up with favorite son (only son) in his bed! he is home for three nites from where he lives three hours away. that's a nice change of pace from the day-in, day-out and causes me to reflect this morning on psalm 127:3-5:

behold, children are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  how blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

i've been given a gift! i've been given a reward! i have arrows in my hand as if i was a warrior. i am blessed and my quiver is full, according to the Word.  even tho i only have two children this must be my "fullness." (we prayed and prayed for a third child, the answer remained a firm "no" from the Lord.") i am not to be ashamed when i speak to my enemies at the gate.

which leads me to another train of thought. instead of children being thought of as gifts and rewards, they are being aborted as burdens every day in our country and around the world when women and girls find themselves in crisis pregnancies. 

our church is participating in 40 days for life, from february 25 thru april 5, a nationwide prayer campaign in over 200 cities.  

i used to volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers in the states where we lived when i was a stay-at-home mom years ago. i'm thankful for this opportunity that our church has given me to join this particular campaign to do something in this fight for life. i confess that my zeal has definitely lagged far behind as year after year the abortions continue and the laws stay in tact against life.  it's so easy to become enured to the problem. BUT i am very thankful for those who still feel strongly called to lead the fight for life and continue to organize prayer vigils like this, walks for life annually, legislate in congress, volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers and the like.

oh Lord thank you for our children and be merciful to us as a nation for our sin of abortion. be with the women and girls who have abortions and heal them from post abortion syndrome that oftentimes accompanies the abortions, sometimes showing up in their lives years later. help the boyfriends and fathers of these aborted babies to heal as well.  forgive them for they know not what they do! save us from ourselves as a nation. we need your merciful help! amen.