Large Families are not Rare

Since moving back to Michigan, God has encouraged us again and again in our obedience to trust Him with our family size.

Are these coincidences?

Right before Truman was born, we were out shopping as a family and the young girl who was helping us told Cameron and I that she was from a family of 14.

Out at a restaurant a few months ago, our server, a young lady maybe in her early 20's, told us she was from a family of 8.

The young lady (early 20's) at the orthodontist who took x-rays of Anna's teeth is from a family of 8.

A cashier at a grocery store recently told us she is from a family of 6.

Yesterday, at the shoe store where I was buying Haven ballet slippers, the young lady (early 20's) who rang us up told us she is the oldest in a family of 6.

And then, yesterday again I met the mothers of two other girls in my daughters' ballet class (The 4 oldest girls are in a Christian, homeschool ballet class that is a ministry to those in nursing homes.) who told me they were each from a family of 7 and a family of 8.

I am sure I am missing some other instances. It continues to happen to us again and again!

The common theme in all of these "chance" meetings is that these were all children from large families. I haven't even listed all of the times I have met those who are the parents of large families--the librarian who had 13 children, the women who I order my bulk dried goods with who ALL have 11, 8, 6, 9 children etc., and those parents at every homeschool outing we attend who are surrounded by littles! Just in the past 2 weeks, we have hosted 2 play dates with families who have 5 children and 7 children, respectively.

The other common theme is how much each of these adult children from large families has expressed how much they LOVED growing up surrounded by many siblings! Again and again they have each said how much fun it was, how close they are to their siblings, how they wouldn't trade it for anything. Yet, I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard negative comments that children in big families will HATE it because they didn't get enough one-on-one attention from their parents, that they had to help out too much, had to share a room, blah, blah, blah. Really? Ask the children in large families! Oh, I am sure there are those who did not enjoy growing up in a large family just as there are those who hated growing up in a family of two (me!--I used to BEG my parents to have more children and then rebelliously told them that when I grew up I was going to have a TON of children! LOL!), but my experience has been the opposite--meeting those who cherished their time growing up surrounded by many siblings!

The world is eager to feed us lies and we may be too quick to swallow them. We should not be so quick to believe the world when it tells us that children in large families are deprived, over-worked and unhappy. We have not only experienced the opposite, but these grown children have also expressed to us what a blessing it was! I know that God planned each of these meetings with these people to encourage us and I am so thankful! It has also helped to show my children that they are not such a rare occurrence as led to believe by the incredulity of those on our every outing who are quick to question us, as if we are a rare anomaly. Instead, every time my children hear the positive words of these grown children from large families, they are encouraged and so am I! :)

In Christ, Laura