More Than “Just One”

I never thought the day would come. The news that my heart was healthy enough to have a child. Not only have a child, but carry, feel the hiccups of, the little kicks, her little feet, and the birthing a love for a child from the very beginning.

It was an experience that many assume, but for years, we only dreamed of. Having a child just was not that easy for us; along with many other women as well. Having children is an incredible blessing, but because of a broken world, is something that burdens women’s aching hearts daily.

Mazy’s birth was intensely surreal, but a day Dan and I continue to reminisce about. Though my heart carried me through the pregnancy and delivery with flying colors, it wasn’t but a few days later that my heart started to fail. Failing in such a way that open heart surgery was recommended in the next week after having Mazy.

That experience shook us. I thought not being able to have my own turned our world upside down, but realizing I was not okay, now put all 3 of our lives, in perspective.

Though my heart is now healthy and back to “normal,” Dan and I both know that we are done having children (unless God decides to surprise us). And when I say done, that word is filled with contentment and completion, not a settling of any sorts.

Of course the question always comes up whether or not we will have more, and I often reply with we are having “just one.” But every time I say that, it feels like I have to justify it. Like “just one” isn’t good enough in our world. That in order to be successful, have a good life, and have “the” life, you need to have more than one.

Mazy is more than “just one” to us. She was given to us by the very gracious hands of God. She is a true miracle. When all hope seemed lost, God swept up our broken pieces, molded them back together, and made something even MORE beautiful. A child that holds so much of our story. A child that represents brokenness made whole. A child that represents hope restored. A child that God had wrapped up since the beginning of time, waiting to give to us as the most perfect gift, and oh the joy it brings for us to continue unwrapping that gift everyday.

You too, no matter how many kids you have, have that same gift.

If you have one child, you know the feeling that you get when people look past them and wonder when the next one is coming. Yes, we may spoil, but who doesn’t? Yes, we have undivided attention towards our one child. Yes, I feel the eagle’s eye is on us as we have this “one shot” to raise this child. But to us, Mazy is more than “just one.” She is the answer to our heart’s desire. What more could we ask for?

No matter how many kids you have – whether it be one, two, three, four, five, or more, each child has a specific purpose – a purpose set out long before we ourselves were even born. No child is “just one” or “just two…”

Every child is a gift from God and every child deserves to be seen as MORE. So to all those parents out there who have struggled in the past, are struggling, or have yet to know that they may struggle to have children, don’t ever think “I have JUST…”

God has ordained our life stories just so, so that they fit into the building of HIS Kingdom, so that HE may be glorified, and through HIM, we can experience HIS riches – even through our child or children.

My friend, YOU are MORE. Your CHILD is MORE. God sees us as MORE.