Children

Yes Olive I, personally, believe that He does although I'm not sure I could find a specific scripture to back that up.

I believe He planned Abraham's family and I believe that He knew Abraham would sleep with Hagar and produce another son.

Every child is a gift from God so why wouldn't He know just who to give them to?

My aunt had 10 children. I remember her saying, "If God blesses us with another child, we will find a hook to hang them on someplace".

God knows EVERYTHING...

Sue

 

yes, I believe He does, but like I am Blessed, I don't have a scripture to back it up.

 

If children are indeed a gift from God(and I htink theres something inpsalms to that effect) then He would have to be the one to determine the number of children you have.

 

Yes. I believe GOd chose the size of my family. I also believe that God led me to the right urologist for a vasectomy . I ain't kiddin' !!

 

Yes I do. I had a my tubes tied at 24yrs. at 35 I decided to get reversed. It took three surgeries, and 4 yrs. but I now have a 8 month old little boy. The chances were slim, and two of the surgeries were coincidental. But if I had not had each one there would have never been a Daniel. I prayed and told him, if it's your will let it happen, and it did.

 

Olive Branch,

I also believe that God chooses how many children we have and all I have to say is I am glad I am not you!

Just joking, Olive Branch has a great bunch of kids! And Talented, I know they get that from MOM!!!

 

Genesis 29:31
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

The Lord opens the womb. No one else can. If the Lord wants you pregnant, you will be so. Also, you cannot get pregnant apart from the Lord.

My mom did crises pregnancy councelling with many young girls. The stories of how women got pregnant are enough to make you scoff at "birth control".

I love life no matter how it happened. I wonder sometimes about how much control people have over their lives. If the Lord is pleases to create life, life will be created.

I wonder where "free will" comes in when it comes to pregnancy?

 

PTW;

There ARE ways to prevent pregnancy! I would say free will encompasses birth control, celibacy, and surgical procedures. These are all elective.

 

IMB16, that's gotta be the first time anyone's ever implied that me going under the knife (and what a place for the knife to be ) is a responsible and moral act.

I appreciate it, albeit not intended for me directly.

 

John

 

I have a question for you 'ol buddy, 'ol pal.... when a woman gets pregnant and she isn't able to carry the baby to term, ie: miscarriage... did the Lord make her pregnant, just to take the baby away? And for what purpose?

I've wondered about this because I've had 4 miscarriages...which is quite alot. Each time it broke my heart more. At one point I didn't think that I would be able to have children at all, and really didn't know if I could stand another death of my unborn children.

So, do you have any idea why this might happen? Please be gentle...I'm asking you in sincerity.

Thanks,
Laurenda

 

Hi Laurenda,

I'm so sorry that you've had to undergo the emotional pain of 4 miscarriages. I can't imagine the grief that you must have had to endure.

One thing that's not often talked about is that pregnancy is incredibly taxing and sometimes damaging to a woman's body. But it's a necessary part of procreation. If a pregnant woman doesn't go out of her way to do things like eat right and change her lifestyle, the effects on the mother's body, as well as the fetus, could be damaging. Additionally, even today, a woman't chances of dying from childbirth are still significant enough to take into consideration.

The reason I decided to undergo a vasectomy (which I can't even spell without crossing my legs ) is because my own wife had given birth to our son, and afterwards had gotten pregnant twice. The first time, she ended up in the hospital and miscarried. The second time, she was so bedridden during the first three months that a few times I thought she was dying. She ultimately had to have a theraputic abortion, because her risk of not making it alive full term were simply too great.... and we still had two kids at home to consider!!! Rather than have my wife go through another pregnancy, or more likely, suffer side effects from contraception, I chose to undergo the ole snip-snip.

No Christian woman should ever be made to feel that they were responsible for a miscarriage, and never should a woman be made to feel like a murder if she requires an abortion for non-elective reasons.

Even though I'm divorced today, I don't regret the past. The idea that the mother of my children might not be around today because of pregnancy is a heavy weight to bear.

 

Before I answer, let me say that I have a son that is almost two. My wife is about 3 weeks from delivering another one. I have two siblings that I have never met but will one day.

1. Yes the Lord makes the woman pregnant. His purpose is always to glorify his name. I do not view God as malicious at all (I know you were not implying that). He did not create life to destroy it.

"For You formed my inward parts, You covered my in my mother's womb... When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth... Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me."

Your babies were created with no less love than any other baby. God invested all of his creativity and care in knitting your child together. If you read that last line I included from Psalm 139, it says that the days were determined prior to conception. This is a hard saying but is true nonetheless. My wife and I have had several scares already with losing our son. We rest in God though that his days are known by God and there will never be an accident.

2. It is. I am truly sorry to hear of it.

3. I cannot imagine what you went through. I just know that God opens the womb and gives life to all men freely. God did choose you to bear those precious ones until their time. There are many who have never at all.

4. I believe that God opens the womb and closes the womb. My friend has a 5 month old with a heart condition. This precious little one might not be here next year at this time. God spent no less time on her than what we consider the healthiest baby.

 

This calvinistic influence has permeated every area of this board, unfortunately.

God has ordained that in order to have babies, we must engage in sexual intercourse. When we do, babies are born; when we don't, babies are not born. There is nothing mysterious about it.

 

Laurenda, I'm really sorry for your pain. I know how u feel. I had 2 miscarriages before my 14yr.old. Have u seen a DR. about it? I asked why, each time and I was told that sometimes the baby is not froming correctly and a miscarriage is the bodies way of naturally disposing of it.
There are test that can be run, to find out why. There is also many reason (physically) that u could be losing these babies.
I think sometimes it is God's will, but other times it is a medical problem.
May God bless you.

 

Thank You John and PTW for offering me some consolation and things to think about. I knew that you might not have an answer for me. I've been thinking and praying on these things for 24 years, when I lost the first one.

With my three children that I was able to have, I had gestational diabetes. The first one has a heart murmor and had to be taken in emergency C-section after 18 hours of labor. I also had toximia with him, but they didn't find out about it until the last month.

My second one, is the only child I was able to carry and deliver normally. She was however born with the ambilical cord around her neck, which caused the doctors some concern. Although she had no complications.

My third one, I was bed ridden for the last trimester for toximia and the diabetes complications. She had to be taken C-section because she was 10 lbs. (they thought she was 11 1/2 lbs. and knew that I wouldn't be able to deliver a baby that large)

I count myself blessed for the three of my seven children that I get to raise here on earth. I mourned a great deal for the first four, and when I think of them I feel a sadness. But I have hope that I will be able to see them in Heaven one day, and that gives me some comfort.

The hardest part I think of having so many miscarriages is that to me this was my child, and when they died I mourned for them. But people didn't seem to recognize this mourning because my child had died before they were born. Plus it became increasingly devestating emotionally. I remember a callous OB/GYN saying that there was probably something wrong with them so it was best that they aborted. He also said "I'm sure I'll see you back here in a couple of months" At this point I had no desire to go through this emotional turmoil and decided that I didn't even want to try again. I became pregnat with my son about 2 years later.

Sorry to go on so much. But I believe that children are a blessing from God. My first four were a blessing to me, even though I didn't get the chance to get to know them the way I would have wanted to. I believe that life begins at conception and that the soul of a person exists even before that. I don't have anything to back that up, it's just what I believe.

Thank you again for talking to me about this, it was helpful.

John, God bless you for doing what you did in the love of your wife and concern for her health. I would hope that if it came to it my husband would be as loving.

PTW, congratulations on your new baby and your sweet little son, I can see his picture with yours.

In Christ,
Laurenda