My quiver is full!

     When the Bible speaks of having lots of children the word "quiver" is used.  Having a full quiver is a respected thing.  What isn't said about the quiver being full is monumental.  People get it wrong or stick to an interpretation that is biased towards biological children.  The Bible is full of references to children in a more whole sense.  So, we need to understand what that looks like in our world. 
     I have some friends who were and are unable to have children of their own biologically.  Try as they did, there were no arrows for them.  Not true!  This couple have impacted the lives of so many children for Jesus in every area of their lives.  From relatives to Sunday School children have been there depending on these friends for love, acceptance and approval.  I hope you understand that while it's not the same as having biological children.  There are many who fit into this category.  My friends had a choice.  They could feel sorry for themselves or pour themselves out to the children they were surrounded by.
     I'd like to digress a bit.  In our "advanced" society we have labeled children as newborn, infant, toddler, and the like through to their adulthood.  Sometimes us adult children should count.  For this subject we will first address the stereotypical definitions. 
     Children are a gift from God.  That's what the Bible says.  It doesn't restrict how that gift came to be.  Children are a gift from God.  From the moment of conception children are a gift from God.  The Bible speaks of God forming us in our mothers womb; intricately knitting us together as he has designed us to be.  From the moment of conception we are the children that are a gift from God.  From the moment of conception the believer has children involved in their lives by the hand of God.  Like most things in life, having biological children is very important.  Having lost 2 babies before birth I share the pain of not having them with us.  I don't know why. 
     When we speak of children at different ages we again stereotypically label them 5 years old, 10 years old and even 18 years of age.  However, that isn't true either.  For the child with disabilities of any kind, the age they attain may only be that of 3 or 4.  That age may also be 25, 30 and so on.  Children are a gift from God.  The Bible doesn't delineate the gift out in categories.  Rather the "gift" is all children regardless of anything we may want to label these children with.  If my wife had a dollar for every time she's said that I was acting like a child, we would have a nice retirement fun.  I'm constantly saying that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
     Interesting statement.  I don't want to grow up.  I want to stay a young child even if society deems it important that I grow up and (implied) not act or think like a child.  The child in me still wants to be part of a family that is not necessarily a biological family.  That's why we reach out and connect with those who can be family.  So, why do we have to grow up?  We don't.  We need to be responsible.  We need to put away childish ways and adopt adult ways.  BUT, we don't need to grow up.  These are two very distinct words.  Child versus adult. 
     Jesus says several times that we are to have the love and faith of a child.  You think he was just referring to the age of a person?  I don't think that at all.  Jesus loves the whole person including the child within me.  He wants us to love all of us as well.  It's only by accepting the love of God that we have any to give away.  You can't give away anything you don't have.  So, be selfish and take all the love from God that you can.  He has loads to give and more than what we can contain. 
     My quiver is full.  There are lots of biological children as well as relatives, friends and even those who are acquaintances.  Your quiver is full also.  If you feel it's not full, do something about it.  Teach Sunday School, volunteer at the hospital on the children's ward, play ball with the neighbor boy or hop scotch with the neighbor girl.  Leave a legacy with how you live your life as Jesus would.  Don't deny the children (even inside of you) the love of God.