As I was driving in my car this afternoon listening to kLove, I heard about Michelle Duggar being pregnant with her 20th child. The hosts of the show (Christians on a Christian network) were very excited for them! And I found myself being happy for them as well. I didn't think anything more of it, until coming home late tonight and looking on Facebook at all the negative comments and statuses about this very issue.
I was shocked that so many people seemed so very aggressive about this story! The thing is, say, 2 years ago-when I wasn't a Christian-I was probably one of those people. I probably judged Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar thinking things like, they are only doing this for money, they are endangering each new child's life by putting Michelle's body through this, they are robbing the other kids of a better family experience-blah, blah, blah. (Much like the statuses and comments I was reading from others tonight.)
I have watched the show, as often as I can, and what I see is a kind-hearted, loving and compassionate family who seek to be many lights in this very dark world. They are always looking for ways to love, ways to serve, people to connect with, experiences to have, and new ways to enjoy one another's company as well as enjoying the life and talents given to them by God. I have heard Michelle and Jim Bob speak several times via television and radio and internet, and I have absolutely NOTHING but amazing things to say about the heart that is behind this couple. They believe in marriage and family, and are leading such a Christ-like life that it is producing children that are growing up leading lives as similar. Children who will also grow up believing in the power and sanctity of marriage! The Duggars are being raised the way children should be raised. I say that without one single ounce of doubt or discernment in my heart to tell me otherwise.
The way I look at it is this. Babies are miracles and gifts from God. The Duggars are VERY careful in protecting and teaching and loving the miracles they have been given-all 20 of them. And THAT means that when those 20 miracles grow up and have their own miracles, they will continue a cycle not of brokenness (like most today)....but of LOVE. Having 20 more Duggars on this planet means 20 more marriages that are most likely to succeed, 20 more missionaries fighting locally and internationally to bring the kingdom of Heaven here on earth, 20 PLUS more children who will then grow up that same way, and so on and so forth.
I have been learning about this business of MLM...Multi-level Marketing. This is where you are not only responsible for the sales you generate but for the people that you sponsor into being responsible for their sales and the people they recruit or sponsor, and so on and so forth. I have recently been introduced to this magic number of 5. You get 5 serious people, they each get 5 serious people, and those people each get 5 people and BOOM!! (credit to Taylor Nelson) Before you know it you have hundreds of people under you. Where I am still skeptical (as any adult would be) of this business strategy for my own financial gain, I am CERTAIN that in the Duggar world (and for this particular blog and example) it WORKS!!
You send 20 Duggars out who all love Jesus, who believe in living their life to truly follow him by loving others and showing compassion in today's world, who also all have been shown the work it takes to run a household, and the time/energy it takes in being a successful partner in a marriage---You then duplicate that by...ALOT when you consider their spouses, their in-laws, their children, their friends, their children's children, their grandkids, etc etc! They are making an ETERNAL IMPACT on this world.
Michelle Duggar has said many times., "we always have room for one more." And she is right. I think it would be a different story if they were producing satan loving heathens into a society that is already demented, then I could see where the world is a little hesitant on being released another Duggar. But that isn't the case here. And we should all be so lucky I think to be blessed to have another one in our lives...whether we know them personally, or are just observing their lives from far away. It's Multi-level Duggaring people and it WORKS!!!
Besides....it's really nobody's business what they do with their lives :)
In Him,
Meg
