No one warned me ahead of time about how much math is involved in having a large family.
I have always done well in English. I am musical. I have some artistic ability. However, simple math has always eluded me. Just trying to count sometimes is difficult, much less anything more complicated such as variables. And then we went and had a large family.
Now all day I find myself faced with word problems such as: If I have 8 children, but only 1 box of granola bars with 6 bars in it, how do I give each child a snack? Or a particular favorite of mine: If I spend 2 hours making a nutritious dinner for 10 of us, how many children are actually going to eat it and how many will just sit there glaring at their plate?
The car math is almost a whole different category: If our family is going on an outing, but 2 older children will not be joining us, but Grandma is, will we have enough space in the vehicle to pick up 2 of the children’s friends??? And the math also changes form when we are out somewhere: Wait, didn’t I come with 7 children? Why do I now have 8, or 6…*
It really goes on and on. How many chairs do we need for dinner tonight? How many sandwiches do we need for lunch today? How many loaves of bread do I have left, and if only 5 children are going to eat sandwiches for the next 3 days, but 1 of those children will not actually eat their sandwich so I could save it for her brother to eat the next day, how many days can I wait to go grocery shopping?!?!?
Thank goodness God’s math is a lot simpler: Jesus + cross + resurrection = gift of salvation. Forgiveness for others + love = peaceful relationships. Obedience + faithfulness = guidance from God. Our lives are so complicated these days, even if you don’t have a large family, that sometimes it is very restful to just go back to the basics: God loves me, nothing that ever happens surprises Him and He has a wonderful plan for my life. So I am going to go drink a cup of tea, think about those wonderful truths and rest my brain from all of the math, before I have to do it again for dinner…
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
*Just for the record, I have never actually left a child anywhere or accidentally brought anyone else’s child home with me!
Love this post!! I know how you feel! My brain is hurting just thinking about all the math. I need to rest now…a cup of tea sounds wonderful;)