A Wedding

Tonight my wife and I went to a wedding. We've been to two within the past month, and they have been wonderful. At tonight's wedding, the bride danced with her dad.

I cried.

One of the reasons I cried was because I have a little baby girl and I know that, all too quickly, she's going to grow up. Someday she's going to come home with a boyfriend (after I've thoroughly interrogated him), and then she'll come home with an engagement ring, and then she'll be saying "I Do" at the altar.

After the dad and his daughter danced, I thought about going up to the dad and saying, "How did you not burst into tears with your daughter?" But I refrained. Then I "philosophized" in my head. Here were some of my thoughts (and some added thoughts as I write):

There is a LOT of pain in rearing children. There are a lot of difficulties, times of guilt and sadness. There are times when the parents don't know if they're doing anything right. But, in all of that, raising children is worth it.

The reason?

Ultimately it teaches you more about God and his undying love for his children. The fact that having children is difficult should never be a deterrent to anyone because raising children is worth it. As a Christian, we can experience and learn more about God and his grace in a variety of ways. And, as a human being, we can have a greater depth of personal relationships that we would completely miss out on if we didn't have children.

So, children are DEFINITELY a treasure from God. Cherish them. Delight in them. And, remember, even in the difficult times, it's worth it. God strengthens and teaches Christians through those times. And, for any human being, it's worth it because God still is revealing his kindness and grace through allowing you to have deeper and more fulfilling relationships on this earth.