By REY FLORES
Matt. 6:26-27 tells us: “Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit?”
There are many traditional sayings about how every baby our Lord entrusts us with comes with a loaf of bread. The Lord always provides and gives us what He knows we need, much better than we do.
This past week . . . almost exactly nine months since I was laid off from my position at American Life League as director of outreach, my wife Mary has announced to me that she is pregnant with our newest child.
The sublimity of God Himself has never been more obvious to me in my life. Here I am, a middle-aged man in between jobs, obligated to provide for my wife and soon seven walking, talking children, but nevertheless, our Lord entrusts yet one more of His creations to me and to my wife. Our Lord has never failed us. Ever.
It is no accident that we found out about our newest baby on St. Joseph’s feast day. After all, St. Joseph is the patron saint of both families and workers. God sure has a way of reminding us that every aspect of our lives is truly, always, in His hands.
More interesting is how my wife Mary first found out — at St. Joseph’s Parish, no less.
After she completed a novena to St. Joseph on St. Joseph’s feast day, while awaiting altar boy practice to conclude for my sons John Paul and Joseph at our parish home, our three-year-old son Antonio casually walked up to Mary and pointed at her womb and clearly stated, “There’s a baby in there.”
They say kids say the darndest things, but this one pretty much takes the cake for anything any of our kids have ever said. On her way home, Mary picked up a pregnancy test and sure enough, baby number eight is indeed in the oven.
Our family certainly is overjoyed and, to be honest with you, we were almost certain that the last child had to be Antonio, but God obviously has other plans for us. Nevertheless, we are thrilled, but this good news doesn’t come without some slight worries and concerns about my current unemployment situation.
It isn’t for lack of trying because I’ve certainly been pounding the pavement and shooting off résumés at a rapid clip, but nothing has panned out just yet. Aside from a couple of contract jobs that lasted a couple of months each, and some writing that I do, I have gotten rejection notices from everyone from Catholic Charities to several prominent pro-life organizations.
I, however, remain hopeful and have not given up yet. That is why I quoted Matt. 6:26-27 at the beginning of this column. While certainly many folks would probably freak out at the idea that there will be another mouth to feed and no job for dad, I trust that in God’s time, He will provide me with the next opportunity so I can dutifully provide for my family.
Economic worries are a huge reason why so many people abort their babies. That is why the Scripture passage quoted here is so important. God tells us every day how much He loves us and how He will take care of things if we seek Him and His Kingdom first. So many babies have died because so many people did not have the Good News shared with them.
Of course, a new baby presents new challenges for a married couple and their family. One of our newest concerns will be that we will have finally outgrown our eight passenger minivan when baby arrives. I guess we’ll finally have to get one of those huge passenger vans with all of the pro-life stickers plastered all over the back of it.
While I am seeking my next position, I am grateful to my dear wife for having her job which for the most part is an at-home job, but it requires much attention, attention which is diverted from our original plan to have her focus on home-schooling our children. This is one of my biggest laments, but it has also given me the chance to help in that area with my four youngest who are still home-schooled.
A new baby brings new hope to a family and it most definitely brings new life, literally. Our children are super-excited at the idea of having a new baby to love and to care for. There’s nothing like a little baby that can bring so much magic into a room and into our lives. That is why I will never understand why anyone would want to abort their child. God have mercy.
Our first two babies were girls and then God sent us an army of four boys. We did lose our dear baby Gabriel in a miscarriage a few years back, but we count that child always because he remains one of God’s creations. We are hoping our next baby is a girl, but of course if it’s another boy, we’ll certainly love him just as much. Place your bets now because we’re the kind of folks who like the surprise of finding out whether we will have a boy or a girl when they’re born.
Please pray for my wife Mary, that she will have a healthy pregnancy and that this baby is also a healthy strong new baby, ready to become one of God’s newest servants.
Also keep me in prayer that I land a job soon so I can do my duty as the St. Joseph of my family. If people know of any opportunity or would like a copy of my résumé emailed to you, contact me at my email address below. I have much experience and many talents I must use to give greater glory to our Lord.
Thank you in advance for your prayers and always pray for all families. That all pregnant moms deliver safely and that their husbands are healthy and able to provide for their families as God intended. St. Gerard Majella, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us.
Rejoice because He has risen! Happy Easter to all of you!
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic speaker and writer. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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