Sometimes in life, you meet someone and you know you will not ever be the same. Or at least you hope you won't. I have had the privilege of meeting many such people. This week, we had one of those people staying with us for a few short nights...and I hope that our whole family will not be the same. Pastor Paul, from our sister church in Uganda, Africa, came and stayed with us. The kids are forever endeared to him. Now, there is much to be said...about their church in Uganda, about Pastor Paul, about kids and their ability to love well beyond our own capacity...and hopefully I will have time for some of those words later. And just to be clear, this post is not meant to stir up controversy, or anything of the sort. It is merely to share some words that I had needed to hear, that I pray I will not soon forget.
In one of our conversations with Pastor Paul about families in America, we were sharing how it is often looked down upon to have more than the average two children...it is even thought of as irresponsible by many. It is a rare occasion that I don't receive some sort of comment whenever I am out with the kids (especially now that you might be able to guess that I am pregnant). Anyway, Pastor Paul said, "It is sad that where we are poor, in Uganda, we have many children (the smallest family is 5, the average is 10), and yet here, where you have the resources to provide for many children, they are not wanted."
Even now, when I typed those words, the tears come, and my heart breaks. Our house is not huge, but is more than adequate, even more than we need. Pastor Paul said that in Uganda, two families would share the area that is our dining room (and it is not a big dining room). All this is just to share that I needed to hear those words, they will not soon be forgotten, and I am so thankful for Pastor Paul. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
