Monday, December 5, 2011

...only those labors where the sacrifice is greater than the reward.

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Photobucket
We had just come from a soccer game.
I had 2 shopping carts and 4 kids.
David showed up about 10 minutes in and saved me from shopping alone.
(But not before he hid in the produce to take these pictures ha!)
The kids were actually well behaved on this trip, but I suppose we were still a sight to see.
Twice that night, we received less than encouraging remarks from strangers.
Dude...why are strangers so hostile?
One lady told us we should stop having kids :)
Um. Noted. Thanks.
I was feeling a bit discouraged...maybe embarrassed.
I guess I care what strangers think, dang it.
The resolution to this internal conflict came just a few days later.
I listened to President Monson's retelling of The Mansion during the Christmas Devotional.
(if you want to hear the story click here, it begins at minute 5:20)
Why is this message so easy to forget?
I don't know. But how blessed I feel for the reminder.
I say to myself,
"Will you be paid twice?"

7 comments:

Sam Ransom said...

Wow. First let me say Go You! for shopping alone with all four. I'm not sure what I will do when I need to start shopping with all 3. I think you are awesome and your kids are so lucky. It always takes me back that strangers are so willing to say rude things. I think they just don't understand the joy of family. Yes it is hard and yes I'll be the first to say I'm crazy but it is amazingly wonderful too! And I can still say this in the middle of the night when I'm up with my two week old. You are awesome! I'm pretty sure your mansion will be huge up there!!

K2 said...

People are stupid and don't think about what they say. I, for one, am glad that you have 4 kids because 4 kids in this world have an awesome mom and dad. Lots of kids can't say that.

Love you guys!

The Better Half said...

Bless your heart! I only have two, but having twins gets one some interesting remarks from strangers as well. Why do people think we need to hear their opinions? I took the boys to the grocery store once, and having one in the cart, and one in the front, some man made a comment about not even having room for food. Oh well. But then, you get the people who are like the lady I encountered at Costco. She simply said, "Oh, you are blessed"

Tish said...

How sad...Who would say something so rude?! That really makes me upset. I would have walked up to them, and slapped the apple out of their hand and told them shame on you. Children are blessings!

Christy said...

oh yah, i've totally had those moments when a stranger criticizes you, and then you feel bad, and then you think, "wait, why do i care?" one was at walmart when lincoln was a baby. a lady came up to me and told me that when SHE had kids she controlled them in the store. thankyouverymuch. i can't believe someone told you to stop having kids!! for rude.

dixonfamily said...

Holy Cow! Rude!
Maybe we avoided some of those comments because people didn't know what to say when they saw the feeding pump and a long tube coming out of the baby in the cart. Who knows.
I do know that you are a wonderful mom and your kids are sure lucky to be part of such an amazing family. Pretty quick those trips to the grocery store with all the kiddos become no big deal. And that, I guess, is when we know that it is time to take it up a notch and add one more. Ha!
I love those candid shots of you in the produce section. I'm glad Dave thought to pull out the camera/phone!

Isaura said...

Ok,unfortunately, this is not the first time I've heard this type of story. For real, people CAN be so mean. I just can't believe a random person goes up to you says things like that. I have been told the "Oh, I thought you just didn't like kids" because I don't have any, but for real, these people don't even know you (shaking my head)
I say more power to you to be able to do what you do, and with grace.