March 23, 2009 by Stacy McDonald
Quiverfull Defined
“Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:5, NKJV)
I reread an article that I wrote a year ago, called Blessing or Burden and wondered what most people must think when they first hear the term “quiverfull.”
When James and I were first married, we were committed to obeying God in every way. We did all that the modern church told us was right and good and avoided anything that we were told was “sinful.” In our ignorance, and with the approval of our wicked hearts, we checked off our invisible list of “good deeds” and thought we were ok. While many of our friends indulged in “bad” movies, “bad” music, and “bad” books, we felt “good” by our abstinence of them.
While many of these things were certainly activities that Christians should avoid, and it was good that we kept these things out of our lives, God wanted more from us – He wanted our hearts. We paid such close attention to the outward deeds (of others) that we ignored the greater sins of the heart (in us). While someone can be doing all the “right” things, there can be sinful motivations for why they’re doing them. While we agonized over getting to AWANAs on time, and made sure we volunteered in the nursery at church, we failed to surrender all (including my womb) to the Lord!
“I am so glad to hear you say that! So many times I have felt obligated to tell people that my husband and I have NEVER, in all of the years we’ve been married, used birth control; when it is none of their business anyway! God chose to bless us with only three children (they were in their late 40’s), though we would have been happy with 300! Why do people make such assumptions?”
Perhaps we should define quiverfull as having a sovereign view of God’s gift of children. That being said, I think we can prove ourselves to be NOT quiverfull by being obsessed with having MORE children, when God has closed the door.
The following quote from one of my commenters sums it up so well:
“Being quiver-full is accepting that the size of one’s family is ideally not up to personal choice. It is the surrendering of our family size to the Lord. It is not striving or obsessing either on limiting pregnancy OR on causing it. In discussion of this issue I think it is important to move the focus away from the condemnation of birth control and towards the issue of increasing trust in Him to include control of the womb.”
May we all learn to trust God more and ourselves less. May we all learn to love one another more than we love being “right…” or even just appearing right. To God be the glory.
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43 Responses to “Quiverfull Defined”
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Absolutely.
Some fail to realise it can be far harder to accept God’s will for us when not given children or a few than to be given many, which some assume to be the greater “burden”. Thanks for this thoughtful post.
Ruby
Yes, I just have been thinking about this very thing. We have been open to accepting as many blessings as the Lord chooses to give us and yet so far that number is 0. And so yes I agree completely that you can have a quiverfull mindset without evening having little ones. Thanks so much for this post.
Mrs. Hurzeler
Amen.
I love this gracious post. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I had not thought of these things. God has taught me something from your article. From S
oh girl, you are so so right on this!
to me being quiver-full is accepting that the size of one’s family is ideally not up to personal choice. it is the surrendering of our family size to the Lord. it is not striving or obsessing either on limiting pregnancy OR on causing it. in discussion of this issue i think it is important to move the focus away from the condemnation of birthcontrol and towards the issue of increasing trust in Him to include control of the womb.
Can we ever trust God too much? certainly not!
EXACTLY! I have seen too many Christian groups who look down on those who have less than __ kids. “Oh, you only have 4 children. Hmm,” (said with disappointed expression). And then of course, there is that other group of Christians who think just like the world and believe children are a burden, all the while calling them a blessing.
I want to shout from the rooftops: Children are a blessing, not a burden! Don’t be deceived!
But then I do, every time I am out and about with my kids and I smile and laugh with them. When my kids are not just obedient, but also joyful. I have found that we can be a testimony of the blessing of children just by enjoying them openly.
Beautiful post!
One more thought, though this may be late enough to miss most of your readers.
The Psalm here, and the arrows/quiver symbolism is not (as you point out) about the number of children we’re having. It’s also not *just* about trusting God to be sovereign over the womb.
It’s about how we view our children.
In the days of David, the bow and arrow was the long range weapon. You could shoot it into places of a battle that were not ready to charge into with a sword. Places of the battle that the archer may never be.
And that is what it means to view our children as arrows. They are long range weapons. They are how we continue to fight in the glorious war (since Gen. 3) past our own death and into the next generations.
So yes, rejoice in your children. But also consider how you prepare them to fight for Christ’s Crown all the days of their lives and to train their own children to the same battle and War.
Good point, James! We need to view our children with a vision for future generations and all that God will accomplish through them! Even some secular folks know there is a battle going on. The (non-Christian) guy who wrote “Empty Cradle” warns fellow secular liberals that demography is destiny and that those who want to preserve modernity must start having more children than “fundamentalists.” By fundamentalists, he means “traditionalist Catholics, “full-quiver” Protestants, ultra-Orthodox Jews, pious Muslims and other believers who reject modernity’s premises.” So, he’s not simply referring to Christians, but I thought it was interesting that he even noticed.
I posted on this topic a while back at:
http://yoursacredcalling.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-western-civilization-must-learn-to.html
So true! Thanks for voicing it!
We need to have a heart for whatever God has chosen for us in all areas….and not depend on our own wisdom.
Wow, I had never thought about quiverfull in regards to a mindset! However, it doesn’t surprise me since whenever we dig deeper in His Holy Word it always has to do with the “heart!” The miraculous “new birth” is never just skin deep, but begins to slowly “transform us into Christ’s image!” I’ve also heard the word “meekness” defined as “willingly accepting God’s providential working in all things” and of course this can only be done by the Holy Spirit’s transforming work! Thanks for this post, I will pass it on!
Fantastic post, Stacy!!!! This so needs to be spoke of, because you are so right.
Just yesterday my pastor’s wife was telling me the GREAT news that her daughter was pregant …. they have been married for many years and have been blessed with 2 beautiful boys. They have been open to God’s will for more children, but whenever she was pregant it ended in miscarriage. From the outside it may appear that this couple was limitting their children but that just wasn’t the case, in God’s timing they are now going to have the long awaited baby they have prayed for and waited for. It’s so beautiful I was just moved to tears.
Here I am a mom of 10, and many may think I am definately “quiver full” but honestly I have not always been that way… sometimes my heart is not always “your will be done dear Lord”… at this point, I think ” I am done God”… I have become closed to the Lord giving us more. On the “outside” it may appear as if we are “open” to more children, but in all honesty this is not the case…….
And here is this precious woman I know with 2 boys, and some may think she has limited her children, but that is not the case!
It reminds me that we really need to be careful not to judge the heart of others — we just don’t know what may be in it.
Being quiverfull is a heart issue, and as in most things the Lord does look upon the heart, while man looks upon the inward appearance.
I know I need to repent and ask the Lord to forgive me for my “closed” heart.
I hope it’s ok that I shared this personal struggle I am having here. I just wanted other wome to know that just because a woman has many children ( 10 liks I do!) it doesn’t mean they are “open” to more or willing to let the Lord bless them with more……at least that is where I am… I was open at an earlier point in my life, but I have found myself concerned about issues of can I handle one more?
Hope that makes sense,
Blessings,
gloria
I am so encouraged by your post… thank you SO much.
My husband and I have faced this heart issue recently. We have 4 children. I have struggled with various health issues and pregnancy seems to trigger them. Our youngest son was diagnosed with leukemia 3 years ago…he is well now Praise God. A year after he was diagnosed my Mother nearly lost her life and is now blind. The bottom line is that the last few years have been very challenging healthwise for us. I read your book Passionate Housewives and started to feel God was calling me to trust Him in regards to bearing children. We found out I was pregnant last fall. I ended up having a horrible miscarriage at 10 weeks…I proceeded to bleed for 7 weeks and almost ended up needed a transfusion. This last month I ended up pregnant again and miscarried again. Not nearly as dramatic as the last one but couldn’t get out of bed for over a week. We live with my parents in a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house and my parents are currently sleeping in our dining room. My mother told me she thought we were being selfish to try to have another child. Everyone, including our doctors, our concerned about my health. I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on my situation. Is there ever a time to use caution? I would LOVE to have more children but it is so hard on my family when I am not well. I have a lot of people depending on me and my husband nearly lost his job this last year from having to miss work to help me at home.
Thank you, Stacy, for being a leader in the true quiverfull movement and explaining the heart of the issue further.
We have three children 13,8 and 3, and we have not used bc in almost 11 years. I have had more of a quiverfull mindset than my husband, but he has always been open to more(not as many as God allows but more).
I am not always infertile, but I do experience times of infertility and it is hurtful when someone else who is quiverfull will not even try to relate to me or ask advice because I don’t “qualify”. It hurts because I still desire more babies and it kind of gets rubbed in. I know not everyone knows my circumstance nor do I know theirs but my heart is that children are blessings no matter how many.
I hope I did not have a hateful tone, I just wanted you to know this post is appreciated.
Absolutely and AMEN! We believe that the Lord opens and closes the womb and are happy with however many children He chooses to bless us with. For us, that number is currently 3 and looks to stay that way, but one never knows.
Again, another spot on post, Stacy. Thanks!
Very well put Stacy!
P.S. Thanks for restructuring your blog to load faster for us with dail-up
I really appreciated this post!
I am a young wife…our 2nd anniversary is still a few months away.
We wanted to get pregnant right away after marriage, to “fill our quiver.” God had other plans, which was for us to wait a whole year.
I struggled with this, and it made me very uncomfortable thinking that others were assuming we were waiting on purpose…then I realized that I have been guilty of those very thoughts, assuming OTHERS were purposefully delaying children.
There is a lovely lady (she was our wedding coordinator,) in our church who several years ago married a man who had several children already, and when they never became pregnant, I wrongly assumed that they were preventing it. In God’s grace, I never voiced this thought, and was greatly humbled when, after a year of us not getting pregnant, I got a sweet note from her, encouraging me in our desires to have children, in God’s timing…
It turns out that shortly after they were married, they were told by doctors that she would never be able to conceive…what a crushing blow this must have been to this dear lady! And yet she is such a cheerful, wonderful woman! I never would have guessed that she was bearing that burden!
Her words were so humble and encouraging to me! It really helped me let go, and give my womb to God in the true sense!
Later that very month, we became pregnant, and it has been a joyful journey…today is my due date!
We look forward to any and all children God entrusts into our care in the future, whenever they may or may not come!!
Stacy,
Another well written entry. Another “hot topic” for our family. After #3 we have a vasectomy. Oh how selfish we were in that decision. Shortly after, God convicted me, but not quite my husband. It wasn’t till we watched the last DVD of Jim Sammons “Financial Freedom” that my husband was convicted. The next day we scheduled our appointment for our reversal. God was so good and we actually were told 3 months wait, then we got a call for one 6 weeks earlier! #4 was our first reversal baby and now #5 is coming as our second from our reversal. We have completely surrendered our hearts to the Lord and His plan. It isn’t easy, God didn’t make all of us to be great mothers of many children…He just gave me a heart to follow and love Him. Thank you again! God bless.
Katheryn
http://www.momsservingchrist.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing from you heart, Stacy. Your recent posts have been so transparent and grace-filled. May the Lord continue to bless your family and your ministry to others.
Wow, I know I could certainly use some encouragement here, too. I’m currently pregnant with #5, and I have no really good reason for wanting to limit my family size, except that I feel soooooooooooooo terrible! I’m sick and tired and sick and tired and sick and tired. I love each one of my children, and I know that there are more special blessings that God has planned for us, but most days I feel like I can barely function. It is a beautiful, special gift to carry a child, give birth, and then raise him/her up for the glory of God, but lately every day I wonder why on earth I did this to myself again. Help!
I am wondering where you feel adoption “fits” into all of this quiverfull discussion. While my husband and I have been
“true quiverful” couple for several years, totally accepting what the Lord has for us in regards to children, we also feel like adoption was His plan for us to build our family. I can honestly say I have NEVER heard anyone who subscribes to this way of thinking, ever mention adoption and how it may be the Lord’s way of growing your family. I have wondered why for several years why this is. I have heard a lot of heart broken husbands and wives, because the Lord has not givien them children…isn’t adotion a viable and still God given way to for the Lord to fill one’s quiver?
Gloria – I can totally relate. We had seven children before we were totally convinced that God wanted us to surrender the womb to Him. It can be a real struggle – I will be praying for you.
Amy – Wow, it sounds like you have had a real trial! I think you and your husband will have to pray through this one. What does he say? I’ll be praying for you.
Belinda – Thank you for sharing. No, you didn’t sounds hateful. Thanks for sharing!
Johanna – Praise the Lord! Any contractions yet? ;-)
Thank you for posting this, Stacy!
We struggled with infertility our first 4 years of marriage. Then we lost two children to stillbirth, and have lost 7 more to miscarriage. We are expecting, Lord willing our 5th living child this summer. I have a malformation of my pelvis that I was born with, making all of my babies transverse, and a medically necessary c-section for each. We know that our “quiver” may be limited by the number and complications of sections, and have taken much flack in the past. Both by those who “say” they are QF, and those who are dead set against us having more children.
I struggled for quite some time because I thought that being QF meant I had to have a lot of children, and I was in some way disappointing God because we could not birth naturally, nor have many MANY children. (Although we would love to have tons more!) But, my husband reminded me that the Lord knew when He created me just what having babies would mean for me. He already knows my quiver… and the number of long reaching arrows He is going to fill it with. So, although I have to have medical intervention which may eventually limit my family size- I have had to learn that, really- the Lord controls that, as well.
My husband and I both come from backgrounds in adoption, and if the Lord paves the way, we would love to expand our quiver through adoption, when my womb is closed. Not just to have a “full quiver”, but love, enjoy, and train more blessings.
Thank you for your wonderful post! And thank you for stating the issue that children, no matter how they come into our lives, and no matter how they do- are blessings… and QF does not equate with lots of children… but lots of heart for God’s children!
Blessings!
Oh Marcie! Bless your heart. I know exactly what you mean. I can remember lying on the couch with my leg elevated because it swelled so badly my skin felt like it was literally on fire, thinking, “I am so sick of being sick and tired…I don’t think I can do this again.” I felt like my house was out of order, I wasn’t as cheerful around my children, I had no energy etc. I wondered how in the world I could keep doing this.
Why in the world I even contemplate such things when I’m in the midst of the trial, I have no idea, but I do it every time! LOL In fact, even in labor, I can remember weighing whether or not I thought I could “go through this again.”
God will give you the grace to get through your travail as you’re going through it, not before. This season is really very short – especially when you consider the reward. And it gives everyone in the family a chance to serve and know that the world doesn’t revolve around them. You’ll feel better soon. It does eventually pass – every time. ;-)
I literally burst into tears when I found out I was pregnant the last time. Not because I didn’t want another child, but because I was terrified of going through another pregnancy (my last three were very, very difficult). My last two I honestly wondered if I would die. Slowly, God taught me to trust Him. What that meant for me was that I had to come to a place where I embraced His sovereign will. Whatever He had for me I was going to accept.
Now this is easy to “say;” not so easy to live out each day. I can work myself into a panic and worry about all sorts of things. Staying plugged into His Word and asking friends and members of my family to remind me of God’s promises helped me. Lots of prayer. Peaceful music. Slow, easy schedule.
This season will soon pass. My “baby” is almost four. I don’t know if God has any more planned for us or not, but I am fine with it either way.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” (1 Peter 1:6-8, ESV)
“I am wondering where you feel adoption “fits” into all of this quiverfull discussion.”
Hi Melissa,
We serve a wonderfully creative God and He has certainly blessed many families with adopted children. Adoption can be a HUGE blessing.
Our Father adopted us, afterall.
I know many, many families who would say they have a “quiverful” mindset who have adopted. One dear family we know has 14 children – only 3 are their birth children. God is God – and while He may use the womb to bring children into the family, He may also bring children in other ways. There are many unwanted children out there whose mother chose life, rather than abortion, (I was one of those children). God is good and His will is perfect.
Hi Brandy Lynn – You have a very wise husband. May God bless your quiver in the way He sees fit!!!
This is very enlightening to me. I did not know this. Thank you!
Very good post. Being a homeschool mom, the homeschool group I have occasionally attended is full of very large families. I have actually started to avoid these homeschool gatherings, mostly because of the fact that I feel judged unfairly. They take one look at the fact that I only have one child and they give me a look of distain. They think I planned it that way. They don’t realize that I have 6 children in heaven, and that my beautiful daughter, who is 7, is adopted. If adoption wasn’t so expensive, I would love to have more. So far that has not been possible, but I know that if God wants us to have more, He will make it possible. I find it sad that people are quick to judge, and don’t know the whole story.
Wow,
This has really made me think. Thanks, I needed to hear this. Loving your book(Passionate housewives) and I am not a “reader”. On Chapter 5 and getting ready to pick it up as my lil ones are almost all in bed : )
Just this morning NPR did a news article on this very subject. Comments can be left for a few days.
In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control Is Shunned : NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102005062&sc=emaf
Over twenty years ago now, my dear husband come home from a pastor's conference, saying that Christians need to have more children. i didn't realize how much that would change our lives ! Although we didn't have a lot of money, and i had my last girl when i was over 40, the Lord blessed.
We had gone to a good Christian college but we were told that we should use birth control. Now, it has changed so very much that Christians are made to feel guilty if they do not have a lot of children or make a decision to have more time between children to give your body time to heal. i would even say, what if you are content with the number of children you have. This is a decision not based on guilt on what others would think , but what the Lord wants.
The Lord gave a desire for more children, that i do not have–EVEN the desire was from Him. the Lord gave and CAN give us a desire if we do not have it. He provided the means to raise the children.
Please do not misunderstand what i am trying to say. i am for having lots of children and grandchildren.
Our prayer should always be to desire what the Lord desires–to trust Him completely, to love His commandments.
I could have become pregnant during the last two years of menopause, but took precautions , not to. Some may have thought it was wrong. I welcome questions ,if i have caused any misunderstanding. i want to encourage, not discourage.
The Lord is good.
With much gratitude and prayfully,
Laura
lmaemutt@gmail.com
From article Barrenness by Nancy Wilson
(Credenda Things to be Believed volume 11/no.2
We cannot interpret the ways God works in our lives. he gives many children to one woman and none to another. he causes some to have many hardships and others seem to have it very easy. If we believe God, we know that He is working all for our good, and he knows the needs of our souls like no other. We must learn to bless Him in all our circumstances and not feel ‘picked on’ when we do not have things go our way. And we must not assign meanings to our afflictions. certainly we all need chastisement, and if we are his children, he has promises to discipline us. But we must not try to figure out God’s ways with us; we must merely submit to and rejoice in His wise decrees.
Laura, you’re brave to say what you have. Many abuse the “quiverfull” concept, which is not even really a Biblical practice, while others consider children a burden. Very important balance is needed, and I’m grateful that Stacy pointed this out.
Thank you so much for your blog! I have gleaned many insights from it.
My husband and I have 2 little ones under the age of 3 and we believe that God has chosen just 2 for us. Even though our family is complete, we believe very strongly that if God still wants us to have another child it will happen regardless of any measures that we have taken. Perhaps His will for us in the future may even be to adopt. In His time!
Although 2 is the perfect number for us we know large families to be a blessing as well! My Dad was 1 of 10 and my mom was 1 of 8.
Thank you for all of your thought-provoking posts!
Thank you for this article. I only have one child and have also felt judged by other. I remember being at a baby shower for a mother who was having her sixth child. A women fixing to lead in prayer made the remark that God was blessing her with more children because she was living a righteous life. I felt very angry that day, as I was using fertility drugs trying to get pregnant. I thought they must think I am unrighteous because I only have one. I felt very bad. Thanks for your article.
“And we believe that God has chosen just 2 for us…”
Hi Tab,
I would like to gently ask you how you know that God has chosen for you “just two?” I am sincerely asking because that is what my husband and I said at one time too. Then one day we wondered: Who are we to attempt to thwart God’s efforts to bless us with children? All of a sudden it seemed rather presumptuous to think we could manipulate our bodies to reject God’s gift of children and then turn around and blame it on His sovereignty.
“We believe very strongly that if God still wants us to have another child it will happen regardless of any measures that we have taken.”
There are women who attempt to abort their children; yet the children miraculously survive. While we praise God for His sovereign mercy in such cases, it does not change the fact that a mother attempted to end the life of her child. She cannot claim innocence by saying that she knew God would intervene if he indeed wanted her child to live.
I am NOT trying to equate birth control with abortion in any way (although birth control pills can cause abortion), but I am trying to share how my husband and I worked through this sort of logic ourselves.
We grappled with these things deeply for a long time. God is good and we must work WITH His Word, not presume upon it.
This post really spoke to me. I lost our fifth baby back in October, and the due date is coming up in April. I have been feeling down, and really sort of desperately wanting God to ease that ache with a 6th pregnancy. I felt really convicted when I read your words, and I know that God used them to speak to my heart. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this thoughtful post! I am a Christian husband and father of five (so far) and fully agree that Psalm 127′s reference to a full quiver means so much more than trying to read into it an implied quota of children to be used to judge and condemn each other! We are engaged in spiritual warfare that spans the generations, and I’m so glad that others have seen this truth in meditating on Psalm 127 and have shared their thoughts in this blog.
As a husband and father involved in spiritual warfare, I’m grateful for the children the Lord has graciously given to be weapons to spread the Gospel. I am also cognizant of my duty to be a faithful, wise steward and to count the cost before doing battle, and to be particularly protective of my wife in this spiritual warfare of having children.
As a veterinarian for the past 18 years, I recognize God’s design in creation for animals that are mothers: to be on an excellent nutritional program, to have plenty of rest, to be provided with a cozy environment with minimal stress, and to have some planning in terms of the frequency of pregnancy. I think as husbands, it’s our duty to do at least as much for our wives as any good farmer would do to keep his livestock healthy and productive (please forgive the comparison!)
We would all consider it abusive to other creatures if a farmer kept his cow, pig, horse, dog, etc. constantly pregnant without wisely pacing and planning for rest intervals and for a time for the body to recover. Miscarriages and health problems occur with animal mothers if they aren’t given some “recovery time” between pregnancies.
As eager as I am for more spiritual “warriors” to be conceived and equipped and go forth into the battle, I am obligated to take really, really good care of my wife and see that she has the rest, recovery time, and good nutrition she needs between pregnancies.
As a husband who has a “quiver full” mindset, I just wanted to share with other husbands that Psalm 127 doesn’t exempt us from all the other scripture passages that have to do with good stewardship, wise preparation and always protecting our wives (I Peter 3:7, Proverbs 27:23-27, Deut 7:12-16, Joshua 1:7-8, Luke 14:25-33, etc.) We absolutely need to surrender our family size to the Lord, while at the same time being good stewards of His creation design for us. We husbands must wisely protect the mental/emotional/spiritual/physical health of our wives as they participate in the spiritual warfare of conception, pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing.
Dr. Paul Knepley
Hi Stacey,
I am Rh sensitized, and we nearly lost our first from his illness at birth (pulmonary hemorrhage and jaundice), and I nearly died in childbirth from a severe postpartum hemorrhage. I had to have emergency surgical repair and transfusions. I don’t even fully know treatments our baby was given because we were separated for his first days. By the grace of God our first survived. That’s the shortest version I can give you.
We were told never to have another child due to the extreme Rh sensitization. Our risk of having a stillborn baby was so great. My husband was genetics tested and he had a 50/50 chance of producing an Rh- baby (a negative blood type that my own system would not fight off like an invader).
I have never used birth control pills and allowed our second to happen even knowing the consequences. God knew what He was doing even if we didn’t. The desire to have a second child was so great.
You can imagine how closely that pregnancy was watched by the doctors.
26 months after our first child our second child was born. Do you know he was Rh-? God is awesome! Not only that but completely healthy, and so was his mama who didn’t even tear!
The “And we believe that God has chosen just 2 for us…”
We knew 2 was in God’s plan because there wasn’t ever “supposed” to be more then 1. We count our blessings and the sterilization was performed after #2 was born.
There are cases where God regenerates the tubes, or a tiny sperm finds its way through and will conceive an egg. God does those things and He can do that with us if that is His will.
It was suggested to me to have amniocentesis or cordocentesis to examine our 2nd son’s condition in greater detail in utero. This was refused knowing that there was an even greater chance of miscarriage.
I had been told by our doctor toward the end of my pregnancy that I was brave for going through with the pregnancy. There was NO ALTERNATIVE in our eyes!
These boys are blessings and couldn’t be loved more deeply. Through this experience 2 is it, unless God makes it happen! This isn’t a presumption. “This is it” was a knock on the head. The desire is removed.
Tab
Stacy,
Have you read the article published on http://www.NPR.org about “quieverfull families”. They interviewed 2 families about their views on children/ child bearing. The resulting comments left to the article ( over 600 and still going) is what has me interested. You may wish to take a peek and maybe send James over there and share.There are a few of us advocating for freedom to have many children, but the vast majority of comments left are from liberals who would have those of us with large families condemned.
It was posted yesterday on http://www.npr.org, let me know if you can’t retrieve the artcile and I can send you the link.
God bless,
gloria
I definitely agree with the veterinarian. But everybody has the freedom to do what they want concerning this, imo.
With six children I believe my quiver will be plenty full enough. And I think I would be remiss in my stewardship to the children God has blessed me with if I did not do something to prevent it from happening again. I trust that if the Lord wishes me to conceive, I am not able to thwart His sovereign will. And I will always regard any children He chooses to give me as a blessing.
I think one can do those things without being Quiverfull, though I respect the choice of other families to follow that route.
Bravo, very well said. It’s all about not striving and pushing to make something happen in our lives against God’s timing. I’m going through and adoption right now and we’ve paid over $22,000 but if God chooses to close the door at any point I know HE KNOWS what is best for us and our family, and the children in Haiti. http://www.strongquiver.blogspot.com