Children: A source of happiness and heartache

I was listening to the radio today, praying to gain a little encouragement for my continually anxious days and nights. The hosts were talking about parenting and how we are only loaned our children here on earth. They were talking about the myth that having children makes someone happy and can bring happiness. While this is so true most days, children can bring some heartache as well. One of the hosts was referring to his teenage son discovering independence by being mouthy and disrespectful. Of course, the three of them were chuckling because we have all been there. Those of you that are raising kids or have raised them know exactly the kind of heartache they are referring to. I felt like this show was talking directly to me. We have been through immense heartache this last week. Followed by this heartache comes the pity party and anger as we wonder why God would totally uproot our "perfect little family". It is true, despite all we have been through, that our kids are a source of immense happiness in our lives. They are loaned to us by God to help us gain the knowledge and experience that this cynical life can dish out sometimes. Children help keep a good balance and remind us of how incredibly blessed we are. We are called to raise our children in the faith and know that each child, no matter how different they are, are put into our lives for a reason. Having a child with an illness or special needs does not mean we are being punished at all. It just means that God has such faith in us as parents and knows that we can do the job and do it right.