Funny...But Not Really

"I was watching an economist on the t.v. the other evening," my cousin says.

"You were?"

"Yes, he says, there are a lot of countries in trouble."

"Why is that," I know she's going to tell me anyway.

"Well, our societies-- population wise-- should consist in a pyramid fashion."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"There should be basically three layers of population. The large number should be on the bottom. That's the foundation layer, and it's made of children. Lots of growing children. The next layer would be less and that would be the parents of the children. The last layer would be the old people of the society, and there would be considerably fewer of them than the parents of the children, or the children."

"Okay, I can see that...and the wisdom of the idea. So, why are countries today in trouble?"

"Because most societies are a flip pyramid. Our societies have large numbers of older people, and fewer (and fewer) young people taking their place."

"I see. That means that down the road we will have an old society with no new workers, or at least so few that there won't be enough..."

"Exactly. Women aren't wanting to have babies any more."

"With the price of having babies, it's no wonder!" I tell her.

"Yes, I think it was right at five thousand dollars for my son and his wife with their baby."

But is that the only reason, I wonder. I think back to when we were first married. The normal family size was two maybe three children. That was all we planned on having. We would wait two years, have our two children (a boy first, then a girl), and then we would be done, we could get on with our lives. Children would just be a minor bump in our road.

"With our first child," my daughter-in-law says, "everyone was so excited. 'Oh, you're gonna have a baby! How wonderful!' The second baby was expected, most people have two you know. The third baby? People began to raise their eyebrows and ask, 'Surely you are having your tubes tied with this one? By the fourth baby I was beginning to get very defensive, because so many people were down right hostile."

"We received a lot of snide remarks with our last children also. You know it really makes me wonder, why?" I puzzle. "My husband and I are married, we didn't get married to remain celibate, for one thing. For another thing, exactly why does it make any difference to any one else...and why is it their business any way, we paid for all of them?"

"I don't know, ..."

"I just tell people now, 'that's alright, my kids are paying for your social security', there isn't much answer for that."

Luke 23:28&29 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29) For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts that never gave suck.

Cherish is the word...so the song goes. Cherish. What does it mean to cherish? To cherish is to treat with love or care; hold dear; take good care of, ie. to cherish one's family.

"I wouldn't trade my children for anything," I tell a young girl at church one Sunday. "As I get older (now remember I'm not quite decrepit yet) they are so much fun."

"You just had kids to take care of you when you get old? That's awful!" she says.

I'm baffled. They aren't taking care of me...yet, so? What's she talking about? We are still in the 'fun' mode.

"So, she wants strangers to take care of her when she's old? my cousin asks. "I wish we had had more kids, but Chuck didn't want any kids...back then. I wanted a big family, but we pushed my limit with the two we had."

Cherish--what I have learned from my children is so vast and so irreplaceable. I have learned to laugh, cry, love, hate, to stop and think, and pray...and pray some more.

Psalms 126:5&6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6) He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

I have pondered and prayed over the fact that --is it only in the United States, or is it world wide?-- children are just 'bumps' in our lives? They are bumps that we shuffle off to child care. They are bumps that we can drop at the school house door. They are bumps that will eventually be off on their own and, (as some say) thank God they'll be on their own.

It is easier to call them 'bumps' than problems or inconveniences, but consider that most parents don't spend five minutes a day with their children. We are so busy...and we are a busy bunch of people. Our children are a busy bunch of people also. I'm reminded of the song "Cats in the Cradle" a 1974 popular song by Harry Chapin. Sadly children do often grow up to be just like their parents.

Scriptures call them blessings. Scriptures don't just tell us to maybe love them, pat them on the head occasionally--scripture commands us to raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them, train them, love them.

"It's so interesting when your families comes to visit at church," a sister tells me. "The little kids sit... and their dads just have to look at them and they know they need to straighten up. It sure is funny."

Thirty years ago a program was begun for women, infants, and children. I was recommended at the time for the program, and went in to check it out. One of their signs in the office I went to had a picture of stockings on a fireplace for Christmas. The caption read: Will There Be Too Many Around Your Christmas Tree this year? I was shocked and dismayed, as the thought occurred to me, how could there be too many little people around your Christmas tree? Is your heart that small or is something wrong here?

1Samuel 1:27 For this child I prayed; and Jehovah hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

We didn't set out to have a large family. I wish we had, but God was gracious any way. Yes, cousin, many countries in the world are in trouble. Not just because their populations are in a 'flip pyramid', but the reason they are in that flip pyramid.

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

Matthew 18:10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

There seems to be a loss of compassion for the weak, for the infirm, for the smaller portions of our societies. A loss of compassion for those who can't speak for themselves.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

What a Saviour!