Mommy Life

March 16, 2007 6:30 AM

Ten great reasons to have another child

It's been eighteen months since I ran this, so in honor of Jenny's good news and to bolster her confidence as she faces those who don't understand why even a 41 year old woman would rejoicein in having another child - and because of Sarah's recent understanding about why her husband was resistant to having another baby - I am running it again. Enjoy!

Reprinted with permission from Population Research Institute

July 2, 2001
Volume 3/ Number 18

Dear Colleague:

Scripture tells us that children are blessings from God. And so they are. But we live in an anti-natal age. The secular humanists have twisted the virtue of childbearing into the vice of overpopulation. Parents often need additional encouragement to accept additional "blessings." We at the Population Research Institute are happy to provide such encouragement. We believe that there are at least ten great reasons to have another child.

Steven W. Mosher
President

Ten Great Reasons to Have Another Child

"Behold, sons are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a
reward." Psalm 127:3

Reason One:
Have another child to join with God in the creation of an immortal soul.

Parents are given the incredible opportunity to assist God in the creation of an immortal soul. As the late Cardinal Mindszenty said, even the angels have not been given such a grace.

"The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral-a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body...Even the angels have not been given such a grace! What is more glorious than this-to be a mother." Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

There is no joy like the joy of welcoming another child into your life. You will marvel anew at how perfectly formed your little one is, and over how quickly you will fall head over heels in love with him. You will be enchanted with every tiny aspect of her appearance. The color of her hair, the shape of her nose, and the winsomeness of her smile will occasion endless happy debates about from which side of the family (yours, of course) she got that adorable trait.

The birth of a child will bind you to God more tightly than ever before, in awed gratitude. "She was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened in my life," Whittaker Chambers wrote about his new daughter in Witness. And in the lives of most of us.

I thought that one day
I would be a famous artist.
and create great works of art

Instead, God made me a mother,
and my children
are His masterpiece.

The design of their lives
will live on after me.
What is painted on their hearts
will last an eternity Anonymous.

For those who marry and have families, children are the primary means God uses to help them grow in holiness and virtue. Children teach their parents patience, perseverance, charity, and humility. They give their parents the opportunity to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. They come into the world naked, and we clothe them, hungry and we feed them. Thirsty, and we give them drink. All of the things that we are required to do for the "least of these our brothers," we do first and foremost for our own children. St. Catherine of Siena once had a vision in which God took her to a roomful of crosses and told her to pick one. St. Catherine went to the largest, heaviest cross in the room and would have chosen it. But God told her that it was not for her: That was reserved for the parents of large families.

"Mary gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes." Luke 2:7

Reason Four:
Have another child to help end abortion.

When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by a young mother about the best way to proceed with pro-life work, she responded emphatically, "Have a big family. That is the best way to end abortion!"

How this works is not difficult to understand. As children become more rare due to contraception, sterilization and abortion, whole segments of society become less and less familiar with the sense of joy and hope that only babies and children can give. In this climate, contraception and abortion feed on themselves, as the increasingly selfish few further reduce their number.

By having another child, you demonstrate once again to the world that children are God's greatest gifts. "Children build up the life of the family and society," as Pope John Paul II has said. "The child becomes a gift to its brothers and sisters, parents and entire family. Its entire life becomes a gift for the very people who were givers of life and who cannot help but feel its presence, its sharing in their life and its contribution to the common good and to the community of the family."

The more children there are in society, the more pro-life that society will become, and the easier it will be for the great evil of abortion to be eradicated once and for all.

"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy
30:19

Children who have siblings learn early to share. They learn to take turns and to put the needs of others before their own. The bond formed between brothers and sisters is lifelong, and stronger than the bond between the closest friends.

"How good it is, how pleasant, where the brothers dwell as one!" Psalm
133:1-2

Boys who have sisters learn the dignity of women. They learn to treat other girls and women with respect, as they consider how they would like their own sisters to be treated. Girls who have brothers learn the complementarity of men and women, both fashioned in the image and likeness of God.

"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones-the ones at home." Mother Teresa

People who have children don't have to rely upon strangers to care for them in their old age. Children also become the parents of your grandchildren. Grandchildren bring joy, happiness, and laughter, while still allowing you to get a good night's sleep!

"Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their parentage." Proverbs 17:6

Humans are blessed with the gifts of an intellect and free will. It is human ingenuity that discovers creative solutions to the problems which confront us. People without children should remember that it will be someone else's child who will become the doctor that performs their life-saving operations. Someone else's child will become the firefighter that saves their house. Someone else's child will become the railroad engineer.

"How can there be too many children? That's like saying there are too many flowers." Mother Teresa

Families with children are fuel to the economy, purchasing houses and cars and college educations. Without young people to enter the workforce, social security systems fail. Without children to attend school, teachers are jobless. Many industries, from fast food restaurants to toy stores, obviously rely heavily upon business from and for children to stay in business. But ultimately the whole economy does.

"Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home, Like olive plants your children around your table. Just so will they be blessed who fear the Lord." Psalm 128:3-4

Anyone who has traveled from coast to coast in the United States and seen the vast empty spaces should know that America is not overpopulated. In fact, the entire population of the world could live in the state of Texas, in single-family dwellings with front and back yards.

Fertility rates are falling everywhere. The world's population will never again double. If current trends continue, world population will peak by the middle of this century and then begin demographic freefall.

Our long-term problem is not too many children, but too few children. Having another child will help offset the coming population implosion.

"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth." Genesis 1:28.

The child that you and your spouse have been generous in accepting from God was created to return to Him, after a life of love, service, and obedience on earth, to spend eternity with God in heaven.

Our Lord Himself said that there was plenty of room for those immortal souls. There is no overpopulation problem in Heaven!

"There are many mansions in my Father's house." John 14:2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Mosher is the president of Population Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to debunking the myth that the world is overpopulated.

(c) 2001 Population Research Institute.
Permission to reprint granted. Redistribute widely. Credit requested.

Love,

Posted in Big families, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink

Comments

All lovely reasons. When I had my first I was adamant that she would be the only one. Eight and a half years later our little SURPRISE!! showed up. Then last year after talking to my husband I decided that perhaps we'll have at least one more. I didn't feel particularly convicted by God but it was a decision I definitely felt led to. Why not have one more? We have the room, we have the money (with budgeting), we have the love, it'd be silly not to have another. It took a whole year to get the birth control out of my system (depo shot) but today I'm in my second trimester. *cheers* (please let this morning sickness pass already!) My surprise will be four when the baby is born and our oldest will be almost thirteen.

And we couldn't be happier.

PS, my dentist says I'm having a boy. I didn't know dental school was so comprehensive. *grin*

Posted by: Spring | March 16, 2007 11:05 AM

I love Stephen Mosher's work. His video "The Journey Home" is wonderful.

Posted by: Becky Miller | March 16, 2007 4:38 PM

I don't know if you are familiar with Christopher West and his works on the Theology of the Body.
His series "Naked Without Shame" is a series that uses many of the wonderful works of John Paul II on Human Sexuality and ties them into a very readable or "listenable" (I have mine on CD) format.
It goes beyond the fertility issue into human relationships, marriage and God's purpose for all these gifts.

Posted by: Jennifer | March 17, 2007 8:44 AM

I just loved reading this! As a 50year old single mom of 5...3 of whom are adopted, 2 of whom have Down syndrome.....many would say I have my hands waayyyyy too full. I beg to differ, lol. Although I will probably never get the chance to welcome another little one into my home, the truth is nothing would give me more joy! Babies are one of the Lord's most wonderful gifts:D

Posted by: Diane | March 17, 2007 5:10 PM

What a blessing to read through this list! Of course in my case the it's preaching to the choir, but us choir members enjoying hearing the sermon, too! Thanks so much for posting this...

Posted by: Granny | March 17, 2007 10:14 PM

Barbara, Did you hear that humble Amy is expecting?

Posted by: Jo | March 24, 2007 1:37 AM

There's another point childless-by-choice "families" don't seem to understand: If the next generation is not large enough, who will pay for all the "entitlements"?

Keeping in mind that the same political groups tend to favor population control AND entitlement programs, they are basically doing themselves in.

It makes me annoyed that my children are going to have to pay someone else's retirement expenses--if the programs last that long.

Posted by: Mrs. Pilgrim | March 31, 2007 7:47 PM

I'm almost 41 and found out that we are expecting a 3rd child in August. I didn't expect to have anymore children. In fact, we really didn't want to have another one. But, God decided otherwise. It has been difficult thinking of this as a blessing when we are struggling so much financially, but God is bigger than all that.

Posted by: Robin | April 2, 2007 3:39 PM

With alot of prayer and soul searching w/ good friends I had a tubal reversal 3 years ago. God has given me another chance to be open to life. But I haven't concieved a baby yet. I think my thyroid is the problem. My body temps are real low. I have this strong desire to have more children. I asked God to take this desire away if I am not to have more. So right now I am trying to wait for his gift. I will be 40 this May and feel my time is running out. I even thougt God was going to bless me with 3 more babies. I have this gut feeling. All I know is I love being a mother to my children and want to have more.

Posted by: BarbaraLee | April 7, 2007 9:49 PM

Thank you for this beautiful article. I have a 9 month old daughter and thought that I would wait till she was at least 1 1/2 to try again, but lately I have been having pretty strong feelings about trying again soon, as a matter of fact it could be this month. We use NFP but never took a class and I am not too good at trying to follow it, so God may have already blesses us again. I would love to have a big family.

Posted by: Nicole M Kidd | April 12, 2007 3:45 PM

I have four children under four and I'm twenty-five. I love to hear people promoting what I'm promoting. I so want to have twenty kids. I don't think I could possibly have too many, and I love them sooooo much. They are so worth it! So very worth it. I love them, and they love me. Did I say they were worth it?

Posted by: Anna | April 17, 2007 8:22 PM

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