One size does not fit all

Often I'm asked by people about the logistics of parenting a larger-than-average family or our motivation to do so.

Sometimes it's more of a gawking, freakshowesque onlooker query, "How do you even do that?!?"
It may be a rude cross-examination of, "Why on earth would you want all those kids?" (To which I've found this to be my favorite answer.) But more often than not, it's an honest inquiry from someone feeling that call, but not quite sure how to answer it, who is seeking support and encouragement.

To that last group, from my heart, I will always respond--as I truly believe--that if God puts it on your heart to parent your own amateur-sports team; then he will equip you for the task at hand.

Does this mean that you'll be living it up in a 10 bedroom home, Alice in the kitchen with dinner on the stove, a TV in every bedroom or even brand new seasonal outfits to suit up your budding team? Perhaps.

But perhaps, not.

Living out the life we are called to doesn't mean it will be without sacrifice. Our needs will always be met, God has promised us that, but our wants simply for want of them does not equal entitlement. Even as a mother of a large clan, looking around here on the Ark, my house and its abundances speak to me. And I know, ashamedly, there is plenty we could do without.

In order to keep this post down to a mini-rant, and neither fully answering the specific questions I've been asked nor touching upon all the angles of this multi-faceted topic, I'll follow up with subsequent posts later on.