A couple of weeks ago, I had the great privilege of giving birth to another baby girl. Faith Ann is our fifth girl now and we have two lovely, rowdy boys. Of all the great creations we humans have come up with, they will never compare to what God put together when He created the birthing process. Even after seven births of my own, I am still amazed at the wonderful works of God when I see a life come forth that was not physically there in your arms just hours before. All the pain of childbirth is quickly forgotten in the presence of a new creation. There is nothing that compares with the joy one feels when holding a new baby.

I am forever grateful to the Lord for the privilege of having all these little people in our care. Our oldest daughter is nine and our youngest is now three weeks old. The other children are seven, six, four, three, and twenty months. I would have never thought in a million years that I would have seven children, but I am blessed beyond comprehension and we only pray that God will continue to fill our quiver full.

I am asked if they are all mine so often that I have thought about getting a shirt made that says, "YES they are all mine". What can I say to the ones who look at me in sympathy as though I am trapped or the ones who look at me in disgust as though if I had any sense, I would stop. How can I begin to explain to them that I am living in the fullness of God’s blessings and I would not have it any other way. I wish they could see the faces of the many people who have stopped me with tears in their eyes in grocery stores, in Wal-Mart, or on the street just to tell their story––how, if they had it to do all over again, they would have had more children, or how they have tried for years to have a child and still have none.

How could I begin to explain that I live in a world of adventure; I am never lonely; I have no need of the TV for entertainment. I have constant entertainment before me all day long. Hearing a child singing ‘Blessed be the Name of the Lord’ at full volume at the break of dawn or seeing the joy of each child as they walk and say their first words, or seeing the smile of a new baby is the greatest sense of satisfaction that one could possibly experience in this life. It is like looking into the face of Jesus on a continual basis.

Behold children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

Who would refuse this type of blessing? God promises here in Psalm 127 happiness and blessing, that children are His reward and that we shall have nothing of which to be ashamed. Best of all, we are promised victory over the enemy. Who could say no to this when life offers us so many artificial sources of happiness that do not bring deep down satisfaction? I am happy and I am thankful for yet another opportunity to impart the principles of God into one more human being that will thrust them forward into another generation. We are making history through our lives every day; nothing could be finer.

Tracey Selby Biography