Need encouragement

  • Thread starter Thread starter pierced77
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

pierced77

Guest
I am proud to say that my wife is pregnant with our fifth child. I am also proud of how hard we have worked through out our lives to live the way God has called us to. Yet my world would contradict my life style. I live humbly compared to my peers and am looked at as foolish in the choices that I have made. I dread the announcement of my wife being pregnant - pearls to swines. I struggle shining for Christ with the constant worldly mentality that I work in. I should trully be proud of my life and feel fullfilled yet I allow the attitudes of others influence how I feel. Can anyone relate?
 
No I can’t, because I never paid any attention to what people say, and I suggest you do the same, don’t let these people pull you down. Tell them if they enjoy being miserable and pessimistic to do it somewhere else.
 
**Following God’s will, acknowledging His great love and mercy, and trying to push aside the views of this world is TOUGH!!!

I think the first thing you need to do is realize that being influenced by worldly attitudes and people isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can help you have an even greater appreciation for all you have been blessed with. And it can help you to always remember that you are a light in this world and that people will learn from you, good or bad.

While there are people who are deliriously happy with their state in life and radiate pure joy, we are not all like that and the non-believers can spot a phony a mile away. So it is important to be honest. Often it is the times that people know that you struggle but you choose good anyways that have the most impact.

I’m probably not making a whole lot of sense, sorry:o… but I will pray for you and CONGRATULATIONS on baby #5! You are truly blessed:)**
 
I get overwhelmed by the comments of others. It is not enough that I have my own doubts and fears, but that I have to contend with the disbelief of others.
We also dread announcing our pregnancies to others.
 
Congrats on your new blessing… and that is just what it is… a blessing, a gift from God. I too have a co-worker that has been less than charitable when she found out I was pregnant… on the day I miscarried. I was devastated by the loss and all I got from her when I got back was… and when did you think you were going to tell me? I would have needed to cover for you when you were on maternity leave. At first I was angry… then I came to a place where I pitied her… she has 1 dd and they don’t even live together. She HATES that my dd is polite to me and everyone, she hates that everything I do is for my kids… why? Because it reflects her bad parenting right back on her… it isn’t that she hates me, my kids or my family… it’s that it is a glaring reminder that she isn’t doing the things she knows are right… I suspect that is the same for your co-workers.

Today I have alot more compassion… it doesn’t matter what others think or say or feel… it is ALL about my family and OUR relationship with God!
 
Lessons to live by:
-People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
-If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
-If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
-The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
-Give the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
-You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

Congratulations! Tell everyone with a big smile in a joyous manner! What a blessing!
 
Thankyou all for your words of encouragement. I was going wait until the new year but your words inspired me to give my good news to my coworkers. They just don’t get it.

Malia, you made perfect sense. Thankyou.
 
40.png
pierced77:
I am proud to say that my wife is pregnant with our fifth child.

I dread the announcement of my wife being pregnant - pearls to swines.
Click to expand...
Congratulations to you and you wife.

I always find it both surprising and very sad that some people can’t share others joys and pour cold water on them.

Never wanting to have children doesn’t stop me sharing the joy of those who do want them when they conceive.

Strangely too often those who disapprove are often the first to get annoyed when they are not told about the pregnancy.
40.png
pierced77:
I struggle shining for Christ with the constant worldly mentality that I work in. I should trully be proud of my life and feel fullfilled yet I allow the attitudes of others influence how I feel. Can anyone relate?
Click to expand...
Yes, I can relate.

I used to let people’s comments influence me a lot more than I do now. Part of the reason for being vulnerable was my mother’s attitude that you should always consider other people’s feeling and not upset them. Took me quite a while to realise that also applied to me and I had the right to stop/change the topic and not to be interrogated.

Another thing that can affect how we react to people’s critical comments is how often we get them. Years of being told by people that they disapprove of our choices has an abrasive effect and can undermine us if we aren’t careful.

Also I think we can be too reasonable with people we don’t know or don’t know well who make crirical comments eg by prolonging the discussion by providing “why’s”. With some people all we are doing is providing more ammunition to be shot down with.
 
pierced77 said:
I am proud to say that my wife is pregnant with our fifth child. I am also proud of how hard we have worked through out our lives to live the way God has called us to. Yet my world would contradict my life style. I live humbly compared to my peers and am looked at as foolish in the choices that I have made. I dread the announcement of my wife being pregnant - pearls to swines. I struggle shining for Christ with the constant worldly mentality that I work in. I should trully be proud of my life and feel fullfilled yet I allow the attitudes of others influence how I feel. Can anyone relate?
Click to expand...
Ofcourse, I think most of us can relate, even if it was childhood since we cared what others or the outside world thought. (It can be easy to forget once you leave the world’s pressures behind and live free in the grace of God and the self assuredness it provides.)

It may help you to remember, that others are often not what they seem. They may mock your choices, but are truly unhappy and do not know divine love in their own lives. When they are alone, they may comtemplate your position with a bit of envy. There might be guy at work that seems to have it all and boasts about it- if you only knew the truth.

Pray about it when you are feeling weak. It helps me immensely to start with adorations like"Thank you Lord for the unbelievable unfathomable love you give me. I am truly blessed as I accept your grace and feel your light fill my chest" and then move on to asking for strength and forgiveness.

Congratulations! What a gift each child is.🙂
 
my husband had your same feelings when we were pregnant with # 8. He did not want to tell anyone at work because they just don’t get it. He didn’t tell them till I was 7 months pregnant and then just sent out an email to a few coworkers. He just did not want to deal with all of the negative comments. His coworkers as a group usually would give a gift for the baby, but they stopped that around the 5th child. We did receive a baby gift from one supportive coworker. My husband did a most wonderful thing after Joseph was born–he made a web page announcing Joseph’s birth with pictures and a touching essay about how blessed he was to welcome his 8th son into the world. He sent the link to his coworkers. I don’t know if any of them get it yet, but hopefully some day they will. Life is a precious gift and each child is a blessing from God.
 
pierced77 said:
I am proud to say that my wife is pregnant with our fifth child. I am also proud of how hard we have worked through out our lives to live the way God has called us to. Yet my world would contradict my life style. I live humbly compared to my peers and am looked at as foolish in the choices that I have made. I dread the announcement of my wife being pregnant - pearls to swines. I struggle shining for Christ with the constant worldly mentality that I work in. I should trully be proud of my life and feel fullfilled yet I allow the attitudes of others influence how I feel. Can anyone relate?
Click to expand...
Congrats first of all on your wife’s pregnancy!:blessyou:

I, too, work in a ‘worldly’ environment, where everyone drives the next best car…wears the latest and greatest outfit…carries a designer purse…takes vacations to Paris every year, etc…and while I earn a good living, I too, have been trying to live more simply. My husband and I are paying off debts, and only go out for dinner now for celebrations. The interesting thing, is that the newfound downward economy that we find ourselves in, has caused everyone to start watching what they spend, and make wiser purchases. But, like Bama says (Bama, your comments sound a lot like my husband’s at times–to the point and too logical, what’s with you men? lol) …you have to just not concern yourself with what others think. There is a passage in the Bible about that very thing, where Jesus talks to His Disciples about not concerning themselves with what each other is doing, etc.

I will pray for you–you sound like a good man, who wants to live the way God has called you. God bless you and your wife–Merry Christmas, too.🙂
 
I feel for you! I also tend to worry about what others may think way too much-and hubby and I just have 2 kids. I cannot imagine what our parents will say if we ever became pregnant again. I was scared to tell her the first 2 times.😦 As you can probably tell our parents are not catholic so they dont get the whole “be open to life” concept yet.

Jill
 
Congrats on your wife’s pregnancy! Life is a blessing that is often overlooked in today’s society. I currently have 4 children, and we are complementing a 5th child. However, I will not take societies expectations into account as we decide if God wants us to have another child. Modern society is very anti-life. God Bless you for allowing His will to shine forth.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top