Our heritage

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.- Psalm 127v3-5

Mary and I are approaching the end of parenting our children in the home. Only one, our Eoin, is left at home. He is approaching 16 so we only have a few years left of in-home parenting. Though parenting never ends, it 

does change greatly when our children leave home.

As we look back we can reflect on the meaning of Psalm 127v3-5. Children are the heritage of the Lord. God entrusts them to us. Our reward has been our children. They give us strength in the years to come. Our 

quiver has been full and they have given us great joy.

The last time we were all together was April of 2010. The next time, Lord willing, will be this Christmas time for Caleb and Karen’s wedding. After that the chances will be slimmer and slimmer. I love those times. The noise, the laughter, and the stories are so much fun. I love having the children here because for a little while they can be the kids again. Beth was here last week and it was fun to help with Kian and watch her interact with the other siblings. We cherish these times as we understand their rarity.

I am starting to understand the truth of what the psalmist wrote here. ‘Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.’ Not one of them is perfect, but then again neither am I. Praise God for the heritage with which He has entrusted us. I am grateful for our reward.