I've been complaining BIG TIME to my sister all week about my 3 "blessings" and she sent me this today and thought it was nice and I would share it with you!
My husband and I had been happily (most of the time) married for five
years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious
praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a
perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with his word as my
guide.
God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year
God blessed us with another son. The following year, he blessed us
with yet another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter.
My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had
four children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never
to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If
you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."
I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as
they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me
with four children and I didn't want to disappoint him.
I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on
the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks.
I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs
in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all
twenty-three frogs.
When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a
blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor
rather than the mess.
In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a
hot meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still
thank God daily for my children.
While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't
even come close - I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word
of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my
daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted
to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too.
Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave
us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give
us his "last wife."
My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My
daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest
son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine.
My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes."
But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in
wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly.
That's dirty, rotten clothes."
A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped
by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my
seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down
the aisle crying, "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and
held it tightly as the wise men arrived.
My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the
manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of
gold, common sense and fur." The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a
standing ovation.
"I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," laughed the pastor,
wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story
without thinking of gold, common sense and fur." "My children are my pride and my joy and my
greatest blessing," I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.
If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son, send this to all
on your buddy list.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
