His Grace and Our Hope

Shortly after Nathan and I married, we began discussing children. I've wanted to be a mama for as long as I can remember and knew that I would be so excited about that season of life whenever it came.

One evening, we were especially burdened by the corruption, darkness, and hopelessness of this world, and I remember telling him, "You know, I do want to be a mother one day, but I can hardly bear the thought of bringing a child into such a messy world." I began to wonder, will our children even stand a chance in this place? Isn't it selfish of us to put them through all of this, just so we can experience parenthood?

Through our discussion and the encouragement of my husband, God so graciously replaced my perspective with His: By bringing children into this world, which happens only by the will of God...
...we are giving them the opportunity to experience a glorious redemption.
...we are giving them the opportunity to know grace.
...we are giving them the opportunity to love and be loved by the God of this universe.

Some months later, here we are with a child on the way. No doubt, our child will experience the pain and brokenness of this world like we all have, but by the grace of God (s)he will see the goodness of our sovereign Savior through it all and be made perfect only by His blood. In this grace of God we find our hope - not in our good intentions or efforts to raise a godly child. Our hope lies only in our God, and we anticipate the birth of our child with joyful expectation at what He will do in this little one's life.

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14