Blessed Among Women

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A woman came through the drive-thru at work today for a Peppermint Mocha.

"They're so sweet!" I said of the sleeping twin boys in the backseat, "I've always wanted twins!" (I have. First I wanted to be a twin and used to hope that I had a secret twin somewhere that my parents didn't tell me about. Since that didn't work out, I've decided, I guess, that I'd love to have twins someday.).

"Oh, no you don't. You have no idea what it's like", the mother said. She explained that the only way she could get them to sleep today was by putting them in the car. "Pregnancy is hard enough, then it ruins your body, plus it's a lot of work. They're sweet now, but when they're awake, they're terrors". We chatted for a bit longer about her children as her drink was finished.

For some reason, that conversation has left me thinking.

The words that she said didn't make my desires any less strong. They didn't make me think, "Oh, that would be hard - don't want it now." I know that being a parent is a tough job - having two children the same age must make it even more difficult. This woman is probably exhausted and I'm certain that mothers everywhere can relate to her situation today. But even so, she never gave me the impression that she viewed her children as a blessing.

When the angel appeared to Mary, he didn't say, "This is meant to be a curse - you're going to have a baby", but called her blessed. She became pregnant with the Son of God because she had found favor in the eyes of God. Her humble response and later praise of the Lord shows that she too saw her child as a blessing.

(Can you imagine if Mary had said, "Oh, heck no!"?)

Quite a few of my friends and acquaintances are expecting or have recently given birth. I was thinking about them today and I got teary-eyed. Every one of them is loving the fact that they are mothers/are soon to be mothers. Morning sickness and labor are no fun, but those aren't the point. They look beyond that to the day that they will meet the tiny person who will change their sleep patterns, the time they arrive places, their bodies and just about every other part of life for them. They are unqualified because they are imperfect, but they look forward to raising young men and women who follow the Lord.

They know, as Mary did, that motherhood is a blessing. They embrace it and look forward to it as a gift of God. I am so thankful to know women who will be mothers before I will, who are examples of what it means to see children as a blessing and not a curse. There must be times, when it's 4am and no one has slept, or 4pm and they haven't stopped crying, that it's really, really hard.

In addition to my peers who are just now becoming mothers, I am thankful for my own  mother, who has always seen her children as a blessing. Her career has been one of staying home, raising and teaching three babies to love the Lord. My mother-in-law worked outside the home as well as in it, but she raised two children who know and love the Lord. They still see their job as mothers as a privilege. Even though most of their children are married (my brother is the only one left at home), they consistently pray for us, are willing to offer advice to us -- motherhood hasn't ended for them.

I can't apply these thoughts about motherhood to my own life right now, but I can apply the principle. Though it doesn't come naturally, I am questioning my motives - am I thankful for where God has me right now? Do I see the things in my life today as gifts? And how am I speaking about those things? Will others know that I view them as blessings by the way I speak?

This time of year, many are thinking of ways to count their blessings. I am thankful for the gift of motherhood. I am thankful for Mary's willingness and for the many women, who like her, have embraced the positions given to them by God.

And I still secretly (although I guess not-so-secretly now) want twins.