You Are a Gift

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3 (King James Version Bible)

Some groups would take this scripture and decide that it means one should not use contraception, or perhaps that it means a woman should not have power over her own body. I am not here to debate these issues.

This verse came to my mind when a mom said of her teenage daughter, "She came to me this way and I've had the good fortune of not completely screwing it up yet." At one time the experts thought infants were blank slates. Anyone who has ever raised a child knows that is so not true. They are born with inherent traits, personalities, temperaments, and abilities. Complete little packages. The Psalmist calls them a reward.

Like a handful of mothers, I personally never had any fruit come from my own womb. My two amazing sons are my stepchildren. I had the honor and privilege of helping their father raise them. They are the best things that even happened to me. I don't know what I did to deserve them, but yes; they are my reward.

Not every child comes into the world welcomed and wanted and viewed as a precious gift. That doesn't change the fact that they truly are. You, my reader, are a gift. If your parents didn't understand that, well, that is their problem and not yours. Maybe you will walk a little straighter and hold your head up a little higher today if you remember that.

Susan