Kids are a BLESSING, people!

Our church is doing a parenting seminar this spring. They want everyone who has kids to get to attend the seminar - which means that those without kids are going to need to step up to cover childcare for the event. Since they are sometimes the most critical of kid's behavior and the lack of parenting these days, you would think that it wouldn't be that hard to recruit volunteers, right? WRONG!

I heard comments like "I don't have kids so why should I have to babysit?' "I don't have kids. Let the people who had the kids babysit." "I don't want our class (the college and career group) to always be seen as free childcare or potential Sunday School volunteers."

Few things get me fired up more than comments like this. They seem to be rooted in a deeper, 'kids are a burden' mentality. I can maybe give a pass to the secular community, but these comments were made by people in the church! Whatever happened to "Children are a blessing" and "Children are an inheritance from the Lord" and "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full (of kids)"?

Yes, children are a lot of work. It is more than a full-time job and parenting requires you to 'die to self' constantly, but it is full of joy, blessing and reward. Even if you take all that away, you have been asked to serve a group in the body who is in a different phase than you so that they can in turn fulfill their responsibilities to the Lord. The answer should be "YES!" Step out of your comfort zone, minister to the Body, and trust that God will take care of the rest! (steps off soapbox...)