I was recently trying to explain our current NFP situation to some friends when a realization hit me: NFP forces us to live in the PRESENT. That's the hardest thing ever!
A therapist I was talking to told me that not only is our generation more future-oriented, but and upper middle class upbringing also stresses goals and furture planning (ie. this group of people puts tends to focus on setting and meeting goals, but not really enjoying them once they're met).
So here's my thinking: unlike many couples, we truly do not know how many kids God has planned for us. Honestly it's a little bit scary because the unknown always is, but He only does what is best for us!
Now that we're expecting baby #2 (I'll let you know the sex on Thursday) we are getting a LOT more people asking us if we are done or if we are planning more. Most people are also hoping we are having a boy so we'll have our boy and girl and be done, but I'm secretly hoping for another girl. The response I've been giving people is "We honestly do not know how many children we are going to have. I'm only 23 and I don't feel the need to make a final decision right now. Even though we know we know we need a break for now, we don't know how we're going to feel in 1, 2, 5, or 10 years." Most women seem receptive of this answer and find it reasonable as long as I don't automatically hit them with the Church teaching about abstaining for grave reasons and such.
So I guess this is my "live in the present and leave the future to God" pep talk of the week. Any thoughts?
2 comments:
SOrry I'm lame and my pictures always come out to big and cropped wrong.
Ok - so I needed that. I just finished watching "The Island," a movie about cloning (set 20 years from now). And it started to really scare me. I mean, we really are getting close to that. In some ways, we're already there when you realize that you could buy a person that is exactly how you want (IVF) if you plunk down enough money.
And I started thinking how this world is crazy, and how I'm basically doing nothing (maybe a tossed prayer here or there?) - and though it may seem silly, I really started to loose my peace.
But you're right. We need to live in the moment. I can't go out and take down all the bad people, and shut down Planned P. before I go to bed tonight. But I can say my rosary, take care of my daughter (who is sleeping), and fulfill my vocation as it is, right now. That will please God. That will make this world a better place.
Planned P. is going down tomorrow. =)
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