Quiverfull
I just put the baby in her bed, and had a thought to share what this term quiverfull means to me. I posted before over on Cass Knits! about some of the comments people have made to me over the years. Truly, I usually don’t stop to explain to them, because I don’t think they really want to know.
Quiverfull means that I accept the children that God sends me. It means that whatever baby He sends is perfect for me, because He chose to bless me with this particular child. It means that when I get pregnant, I can trust that it’s ok, because He chose this time for me to conceive. Even when I feel tired and overwhelmed and wonder how I will cope with what’s on my plate already, I accept the gift with gratitude. He has placed faith in me that I am worthy of the task, and that is enough.
But there is another side to quiverfull that doesn’t get talked about so much, and as I approach 40, it’s the side I am likely to find myself on sooner rather than later, and it’s the side that I thought about tonight as I put the baby to bed. Accepting all the children God has for me also means accepting when He says enough. Truly, I cannot imagine a time when there is no soft warm squishy body that molds so willingly to mine. I can’t imagine that there will be no fuzzy baby head to sniff, when there will be no milk to nourish a little life. I can’t imagine a time when I am free to set my schedule without worrying about when a little one might need me. And yet, I know that eventually that time will come, and that if I truly am quiverfull, I must accept it with grace.
I know that when the time comes, God will have already prepared a work for me. In fact, has prepared it from the beginning, because there is no “time” as we see it where He is concerned. It is only our own human limitations that cause us to see just this one plane where-in we exist. There’s a restfulness in that, if we can come to grips with it. The Bible is plain that before we were, God knew us, and that whatever life brings to us, He foreknew. There’s a restfulness in that as well.
Well, this one made me tearful. I’m past the age of child-bearing and I miss it so much. And you know that I stopped God’s hand in all this a long time ago, and now am sorry I did that because I missed having other children after Elizabeth was born. Danny regretted it, too, and we talked often about it. Now, I try to encourage young mothers not to stop having babies if it’s possible at all.
Deeeep thoughts! well said. I know this is open to the web world, but while reading that I kept thinking soemthing so I will say it. I love You!
I love you too!
I like what you wrote. I wish I could fully accept that with God, but I fight with Him too much over it. Even when I say I accept what He gives, I know in my heart that I don’t.
[...] thinks about the definition of Quiverfull posted at Cass’s Midlife [...]
[...] answer question 1, I am going to just point to this entry I made some months ago on Quiverfull. I’m doing that because question 2 will be a book in and of [...]
Cass, this is my belief right on, from having them to no longer have them. Tough to think about that last one. (And I only have six.)
Such stance is rare and I’m glad I found someone else who shares it with me. Thanks for posting it.
As the mother of one totally unplanned, but NEVER unwanted, child, I can relate to this post. I don’t have 8 — I have 2. But the experience of finding myself pregnant in the middle of law school when we thought we were going to have 1 child . . . well, let’s just say that my husband, a not overtly religious guy, summed it up perfectly when he got over the shock: “God had a better idea.” He sure did and we can’t imagine life without our “Mattie-Boo” (although we must never say that in front of his friends . . . he is 15 1/2 and a very cool dude).
Brandy, I’m glad you found it. I had wondered about your family, too.
JHS, I’m glad you stopped by. Love that “Mattie-Boo” story. I won’t tell him you told me, though
I wanted many more, myself, Cass. When we first got married, I said, ‘ok, ten children is not logical, I’ll settle for six’. After starting our family, and seeing the financial stress that we were under, and all that other stress, I then settled on four - four was it, four was my magical, perfect number - and it felt so right. So right. But I guess that wasn’t God’s plan, because my poor uterus gave out on me. Darn kids had to all be almost 10lbs! So then I always said that God had to stop me having my own babies, because I loved it so much, and I had always planned to adopt some, too - and if he didn’t ’stop me’ - then I would never adopt some, too. I always had the plan to adopt the ‘unadoptable’, not exactly abused, problem children - as that could put my birth children at risk, but, just not the perfect, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Anglo children, you know? My husband, however, grew way too tired. I think there might be some foster children in my future, though. We’ll see. There’s definitely something in my heart bursting for more children - I guess I’ll have to wait and see what God has in store, as none of my ‘plans’ have really been it! LOL! Sorry for the comment-book, I just always get so emotional when I hear (read) you tell your story. Thanks, Cass! You bring out good stuff in me! {{{{{Cass}}}}}}
Awwwwwww, Lisa. You made my day!
This is lovely Cass, truly lovely. I just read this, due to the link, while reading your interview from Kat.
That is a great post! I feel the same way. I have baby #2 due in 5 weeks and looking forward to a quiverfull!
Thanks Melissa!