Parenthood is NOT for everyone. I know this is true; I have many friends who for one reason or another are childless. Some chose this circumstance, others have medical issues that utterly derailed plans, and still others tried unsuccessfully to overcome such obstacles. No judgment here; I wish success to those who are still trying.
I happen to be a parent (of four, as I'm sure most of my audience knows). I've never had aspirations to be as fruitful as Abraham (see Genesis 15:5 "And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’"). Innumerable progeny would be far beyond the scope of my personal parenting abilities! ;) Yet it would seem that the lives touched by hubby and myself around our four children (their ten cousins and all of their many friends) are stretching toward such numbers now that our youngest is in her last fifteen months of high school. We as pebbles in a pond have caused ripples on the water's surface that encompass innumerable youngsters in such fields of endeavor as our children's schools, their Scout troops, tae kwon do classmates, swimming teammates, Sunday School and church youth group peers, DeMolay, Rainbow, etc. This doesn't even include the youths Greg & I have worked with in our respective careers in education & social work!
If I look at it that way, then perhaps the influence DOES begin to edge toward the number of seeds in a pomegranate, or the smaller numbers of those stars God showed Abraham long ago. That thought is humbling to say the very least! ~:o
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