Children, Praise and God's Love

By Dorcas

God has given me 12 beautiful children—eight girls and four boys. When they were younger, I was so busy with their care; I barely had time to catch my breath. But now with all my children almost grown (the youngest is 14), I rely so much on their support and help. I spent one morning reflecting on this and feeling such gratitude for my children, and then I received a call from my third eldest. I began to relay my thankful thoughts to her when she said, “Mom, you need to tell your children these things. It would make them so happy to hear how much they mean to you.” I had just been thinking the same, and I agreed.

My 12 children have—over the last 34 years—grown up in an instant. That is contradictory but true. And I am now realizing again and again what treasures my children are to me. All I can say is Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. 

I am thankful for my children, who have taught me so many of life’s important lessons. 

I am thankful for the children I still have with me. 

I am thankful for my children who have spread their wings and are no longer under my roof. 

I am thankful for the times they remember to call. 

I am thankful for how they still call me when something is troubling them. 

I am thankful for my grown children who came to visit me when I was hospitalized. 

I am thankful for how my children cried when I fell sick. 

I am thankful for the times when my children have made me laugh when I’ve needed encouragement. 

I am thankful for how not a birthday passes without one of my daughters baking a cake and serving a lovely birthday meal. 

I am thankful for how my children call me when my birthday nears, asking what they should get me as a present. 

I am thankful for the family photo album books that my eldest daughter prints and sends me at the end of every year. 

I am thankful for how my children cause me to appreciate a variety of personality traits and characteristics. 

I am thankful for the grandchildren who call me grandmother, and for my children who take care of my grandchildren so well. 

I am thankful for how my children listen when I am going through a trying time. 

I want to say to each of my children, “You are needed. I am thankful for you. You are wonderful.” 

I think there is nothing more fortunate than to feel that you are needed. But unless someone puts this into words, you might never know the place you fill in another’s life. So I decided to take a few moments to express my thankfulness for my children. And as I was doing so, my thoughts gradually turned to Jesus—the one most deserving of thanks.

I wondered if I thank Him enough. My praises may not have been as abundant of late, and I wondered if that saddened Him. Of everything in my life, I am most thankful for Him. Because of Him I am able to love others. Because of the love He has given me, I desire to love others in the same way.

I have heard it said that praise brings down God’s power, and I believe this to be true. And when one is tired, it is even more important to praise. The fact is, as I sat down to write this, I was feeling rather tired. But after I began to praise, I was strengthened. I started off writing about thankfulness, so naturally I can only end in praise. 

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