Wonderously Blessed....

A quote from Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss describing the main character's thoughts on finding out that, once again, she was pregnant....

“I shall now have one mouth the more to fill, and two feet the more to shoe; more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure for visiting, reading, music and drawing. This is one side of the story to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worthy of all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ’s name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation, my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!”

Times two.

I remember reading this quote about 4 years ago for the first time and it rang so true in my heart. Though we didn't yet have children my heart fully believed in motherhood as such a worthy calling and I knew that, Lord willing, when He allowed us to have children these words would be an encouragement to me. And so they have been. Early this morning at 4 am when both babies woke up ready to eat and I couldn't quite figure out how to manage that,the gist of this quote came to my mind and I took a deep breath and did my best. About an hour later all were fed, changed, swaddled and the world was again at rest. Though there are many, many moments such as this where I feel overwhelmed and not sure what to do first, there are also moments like this afternoon when I was laying on our new,enormous bed with the babies. The windows were open, the room felt breezy and calm. I was feeding Amelia while Sammy slept and as I glanced down at her she was looking out the window behind me with the sweetest expression on her face. It was like she had seen a bird fly by and it made her happy. It made my heart glad....and thus the days go by.

Jen