Vi är kallade till en radikal öppenhet för barn!

Som gifta och kristna har vi en stor kallelse. Vi är kallade att vara öppna för en av Guds första uppdrag till sin skapelse: Var fruktsamma och föröka er!

Följande tankeväckande vittnesbörd är hämtat från Better by the Dozen Plus Two, av James och Kathleen Littleton (föräldrar till 19 (sic) barn):

Kathleen and I have many times been challenged about the size of our family by people, even by relatives, who are often concerned and mean the best. One of the greatest means of persuasion to help them understand that our choice to have a large family was right and good and in accordance with God’s will is to take out a picture of our complete family [se länken ovan för ett foto], or to point the children out if they are near by. Then I will ask which of these children should have been our last? Where should we have stopped? Which of these children should not have been born? Which of these children do you think has been brought into existence in opposition to God’s will? I will ask this in a charitable tone. Although I have seldom, if ever, experienced the person who has challenged the size of my family declare that they were wrong, and that they were now in full agreement with our radical openness to life and trust in God, I believe my challenging premise does put things into perspective and cause the person to reflect more deeply on the subject.

I have yet to have someone answer this question by maintaining that Kathleen and I should have stopped at a particular child. This has never happened because of the grave reality that such a response would imply. By virtue of their failure to answer this question by selecting particular beautiful and unique children to have never existed, implies that the challenge to our family’s size does not hold merit. To select a point at which we should have ceased the prayerful discernment and living of God’s will in regard to openness to life in our marriage, would be to imply that the children born after that point would have been better off not existing, and that the world is better off without them. How could anyone sincerely and in good conscience make such a statement?

We recognize that many parents who are trying very hard complain that they are struggling with perhaps one, two, or three young children, and are therefore concerned about having another. We have nothing but compassion and love for them in their struggles and concerns. But we want what is best for them, and we like to encourage these parents with the reality check that their young children will not always be little. The little ones do grow and become more mature, becoming more capable of helping around the house and with the new little ones to come. God really has thought all these things out in his great and generous plan for life. We have found also that as we have grown older, having less energy than when we were younger, God has blessed us with older children now who can appreciably help with responsibilities around the house and with the children.

How did we end up having nineteen children? Well I can assure you of one thing. We never would have had this many if it were not for the gift of our faith in God, a God who always provides what is truly necessary, a God who tells us not to worry: “Set your hearts on his kingdom first and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:16) Kathleen and I are the first to say that it seems to be a practical impossibility to have and to raise fourteen living children in this day and age; but in all ages God never changes and he tells us, he tells every age, he tells you the same thing he told the Blessed Virgin Mary through the angel Gabriel in her impossible situation: “Nothing is impossible to God”. (Luke 1:37) We must believe this. We need to be convinced, unwavering. God does not lie. He is the Truth. He is in command of every detail of our lives, he is with us, and he who is Generosity Itself, will never be outdone in generosity. Trust him!

Vi har ännu bara fött 5 barn som inte ens nått tonåren men kan redan till del bekräfta Littletons vittnesbörd om välsignelsen med äldre och yngre syskon. Vi hoppas och ber att Gud skall benåda oss med en stor familj!

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