Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Feel free to point

Things people have said to us when we're out and about with the chillen:

"Wow, you have 5 boys?!"
"You sure have your hands full!"
"You must be busy!"
"Are they twins?"
"Are they triplets?"
"Are they all boys?"
"Are they all yours?"
"Wow, what are their ages?"
"5 boys?  Are you gonna try for a girl?"
"So are you done now?"
"My sister has twins."
"My neighbor has twins."
"We have twins."
"Think of the grocery bill in a few years!"
"Are they identical?"
"Do you have 2 sets of twins??"
"Your children are so well-behaved!"
"I just wanted to tell you that you're doing a great job."
"How in the world do you do it?  I can barely handle my 2!"

"I can't even imagine."
"Are they always this well-behaved?"
"Were the twins a surprise?"
"Were you going for 5?"

We've had countless people stare at us, come up and say something of the above, point at us, visibly count us, share something of their own experience with kids - some in very detailed accounts - and talk audibly about us from where they're sitting.

And I've decided to just embrace it.

After all, who am I to say that this isn't exactly why God has blessed us with these children?  (And we only have 5 - good grief, we're not the Duggars!)  Every time we're noticed, we have an opportunity to reflect Him.  If the primary purpose of each of our lives is to bring glory to God, then whenever we step out of the house and rub shoulders with the world, our every action should proclaim Him.  Every contact with an individual is God's nudge on them to get close to His love.  And (scarily, sometimes) WE'RE it!

I am beginning to be more bold about my responses to some of these questions and comments, but it's hard to not just give what I think of as the standard reply.  I need something shocking, something fresh, something stimulating to their thinking.  Something that proclaims Jesus.  Both to them and to my children, who watch and listen to everything I say.  Even when they pretend not to.

What would you say?

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