making little humans

Lewis talks today about the purposes of marriage in A Year with C.S. Lewis.

He says that one of the reasons God created marriage is for "the transmission of life." And that means having children.

We have grown so accustomed to the idea of having children that I think we've lost some of the wonder of it. It really is pretty amazing that God has given us the ability, through the love between husband and wife, to produce a whole new person, tiny and vulnerable, with traits from both parents swirled together.

Modern society tries to convince us that we are better off without kids. Or, if we HAVE to have them, then we should definitely not have more than a couple. But God has given us not only a great blessing in children, but a high and holy calling. I know it doesn't feel very high or holy when you're changing diapers or wiping drool off of a baby's chin. But what greater calling can we have than to teach a brand new human what it means to be human? To teach them all the things they need to know in life, including how to relate to God?

Let's, in our prayer, remember the important, world changing calling it is to raise up our children in the way they should go, so when they are older, they won't depart from them.

God, thanks for such a high, holy calling... that is also fun and full of love.