Sitting at breakfast at a recent Above Rubies retreat a mother shared with me how they were counseled to avoid having children when they first married. In the counseling session, the couple asked, "What do you think about us just trusting God?" God had been convicting them that if God was truly Lord of their lives, they should trust Him for children too. The pastors laughed with scorn at such a preposterous idea! Siding with the devil's plan to eliminate life, they continued to provide them with information regarding all methods of birth control.
In spite of their "advice" they knew they had to obey God. They later moved on from this church. Many years later they met these pastors again at an airport as they traveled with their seven children to a family wedding. They greeted one another cordially as they all boarded the same plane together, However, these two pastors were very embarrassed and did not know where to look. In front of their eyes were seven delightful and beautifully behaved children--children who would not be alive if they had taken their advice!
Their counsel would have deprived them of these blessings, not only for the parents, but for the blessing of this world, and for eternity to come.
Love from Nancy
P.S. This mother is now joyfully expecting their ninth blessing.