This is something I posted on Facebook about a year ago and I thought it was worth reposting here.

Having four kids in seven years we get a lot of attention when we go out. If I had a penny for every time someone said “wow, you have your hands full” I would be a rich woman. (Maybe I should start charging). Right after that comment people usually ask “so, are you going to have more children?”. I normally answer with some joke, because I don’t like to answer personal questions. But, God has been hounding me about writing a real answer for this question so, I will. The answer is Yes, we will have more children and I will explain why in a minute but first let me put your minds at ease that I am NOT pregnant! (although this seems to be an epidemic in our family right now 🙂 We will have more children, somewhere in the future. So, let me explain how I know this.

God has promised us a girl. I love my boys tremendously and would not trade them for anything, but the desire of my heart has always been to have a daughter. I think it started when I was a child. I always wanted a sister, being an only child. Well, when I got married I got 5! God blesses you more than you can imagine sometimes. But I still longed for a daughter. My mother and I have a very close relationship and I have always wanted that with a daughter someday. So, we set out on our journey of having children in 2004. Samuel was born and I was so glad to have a son. I wanted a son and Glenn was so excited to have a boy. Then in 2006 we had Jordan, another boy. I was glad to have a brother for Samuel. In 2008 we decided we should have another child. I really wanted a girl. I heard a sermon on praying specifically for what you want and I decided I would pray everyday for a girl. So, for months I prayed. Then one day while I was praying God said “you will have your girl, but it will be a while”. I was thrilled to find out I was pregnant the next month and was convinced this was our girl. Usually with God “a while” takes much longer. Then four months into the pregnancy I miscarried. We were devastated. But I thought then, “well, this is what God meant when He said ‘a while'”. I had no idea.

We decided to try again and experienced another miscarriage in 2009. I was really questioning God at this point. But then God laid adoption on our hearts. We went through all the paperwork and then began the waiting process. We got five calls about babies and children who might join our family and although none of them worked out they were all girls. I just knew we would be adopting a girl. So, on March 26th, 2010 I got a call about a little boy in the NICU I was confused. It didn’t bother me that he was 11 weeks premature or another race, what bothered me the most was he wasn’t a girl. It sounds silly. I prayed about it and God told me he was to be our child. So, I walked forward in faith. Joshua joined our family that day and I am so glad he did. Some people have asked me why we didn’t choose to only accept a girl in our adoption and Joshua is why. God had him planned for our family and if we had limited our search to just girls we wouldn’t have him. God knew what he was doing.

So, we brought Joshua home from the NICU on May 5, 2010 and then in July we found out we were expecting, unexpectedly. I just knew this would be our girl. But, I also know with God that you cannot assume you know what He is going to do. When we found out it was a boy, I had accepted the idea and was glad Joshua would have a brother so close in age. During that time I prayed about this girl thing with God. I wondered if I had heard him right and I asked for confirmation from Him. He told me to name her Elizabeth. I looked up the meaning of Elizabeth and it means “God’s oath”. I knew He was serious then. So, I knew we would have more children after Elijah was born.  I don’t know if our girl will be biological or adopted, but I know that God has promised us this. And I am standing on this promise.

Some people have asked me why we have four children and why we would want more. I realized through our losses that children are a blessing and not a burden. Our society views them as burdens, but God clearly says otherwise. He calls children blessings numerous times throughout the Bible. I am going to rejoice and be glad for each blessing we receive from God whether they are a girl or a boy. I think God keeps giving me all these boys because he knows I would be likely to not have anymore children if I got my girl :).

I am standing on God’s promise to us and know that someday He will bless our family with a daughter. As our pastor says, “one shout before the promise is fulfilled is worth 10 shouts after”, so I am shouting before the promise is fulfilled knowing that is an exercise of faith.