How Much are Children Worth?

In a world where abortion is legal, euthanasia is becoming acceptable, and in which a woman can be starved to death, it is no wonder that we value children so little. Christians ought to know better, unfortunately, it seems that we don't. Hopefully, you will soon understand what I mean.

First, it starts with how many children that otherwise healthy couples decide to have. I think that the average number of children per couple is around 2 or 3. That's not really the issue. The issue is how they decided to stop at two children. Mostly, it's because they say that they cannot afford them, or that they do not have room for them. Both of those reasons are, for the most part, hogwash.

Let's take a trip down memory lane to my grandmother's childhood. She started life with no indoor plumbing, and probably no electricity. They had no car, only a mule. She also shared a (maybe) 1400 square foot home with eight brothers and sisters and two parents. Yes, they were poor cotton farmers, and the boys did come in handy to help with the farm. They were forced to accept their place in a small society, learn to get along in less than ideal situations, and they had to work to eat. We think that television has made people snobbish. It's not TV, we just haven't ever had to deal with other people before. We don't like people because we haven't put in the time to realize the value of a genuine relationship. TV is easier. But (dare I say it?) it is far, far less rewarding.

Oh yes, grandma's family loves each other. To this day, they all look forward to family reunions. I have some terrific memories of gatherings at great-Grandmother's house. There were piles of people and plenty of fun. No bored games (board games?), no computer games, just children wrestling, screaming, and playing. Oh, the glory of family!

So, don't poor mouth me about not being able to afford children. What you are really saying is that you love your two cars, your mortgage, your gadgets, and your 'free space' more than a baby. If your wife could incubate a nine pound hunk of gold in her belly for nine months and squat that thing out, you'd be hitting the bed at 8:00 every night and praying for twins. But since children are more trouble and, apparently, less valuable, we conceive of every kind of birth control trick known to man to keep our lives from being burdened with children.

Children are beautiful, precious, and priceless. I cannot put a price on the value of my seven month old son. Right now, he can basically look at me, laugh, pee, and puke. Some of his tricks are more endearing than others, but I love him all the same. I cannot wait until the next one. And the next one, and the next one... Maybe you will say now, "Well, how many are enough?" Good question. I think it'll be enough when the next one will be too much trouble to love.