Surnames began to be used in the Middle Ages as the population began to grow, they needed to distinguish between two individuals with the same first name. They would use a person’s characteristic such as Joy or Bright, their parent’s first name, like Thomas or David, the place they were from or a landmark, such as Wales, Petersburg, Bridge, or Church, an item in nature that they admired, such as Greene, White, Wheat, Cliff, or Hill, or from their occupation, like Baker, Carpenter, Blacksmith, or Thatcher, etc. There was a time, when the surnames would be passed down from the mother’s side of the family, but it is more commonly seen now as coming from the father’s side. They were first used by the wealthy landowners to secure one’s inheritance, then later the practice filtered down to the rest of the population, however, not only would the names be passed down, but also the occupation. You can tell a lot about your heritage just by the surname you have, and often your occupation.
From the year 1850 to 1920 the family size peaked, because the infant mortality rate was decreasing. However, by 1920, with industrialism increasing, giving women the opportunity to work outside of the home, the number of children born, again began to decrease. However, the family size was still substantially larger than today, where we see a household size from between 2.6 and 3.4 persons. I am not sure how you can get such a percentage of a person, but then again, I have never professed to be good with math. Again, these are just averages, because my father was born in 1934 and he was the twelfth of thirteen children born to his family. With a larger family, there was free labor. Everyone took part in raising their younger siblings, doing chores around the house, and working in whatever occupation was prominent in the family. With my father for instance, his father was a sharecropper, and the kids would have to participate on the farm from dawn until school, and after school until bedtime. He was the only one from his family to graduate from high school. My father was taught to pick cotton from the age of six years old.
Though many farmers kids become farmers, and baker’s kids become bakers, my father broke out of the mold because he felt his call to the ministry, which let him to many states in the United States as well as many countries, ministering. He authored a book called “Worth it all,” that contains many of the exciting stories from his life experiences. Jesus also broke out of the mold when he began his ministry which did not begin until he was thirty years old. It would seem that he did learn the carpenter trade because his peers and neighbors referred to him by his trade. Matthew 13:55 states, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” Mark heard it this way in Mark 6:3, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” Incidentally, my father’s surname was Carpenter. Many minister’s children will follow in their parents’ footsteps as well in some form or fashion; however, they often must be by-vocational to make ends meet and provide for their families.
From the beginning of time, God created all living creatures to be fruitful. He gives this command to his creation many times. He repeated it as needed. Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” After the flood, God repeated the command to the only remaining humans who were spared in the ark. Genesis 9:1, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” In Genesis 11 when the people thought they had a better plan than God and they congregated in one area and began to build the Tower of Babel, God came down and confounded their languages, scattered them and they were forced to spread out and multiply the earth as God had meant for them to do. This promise came to Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18, “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Throughout scripture it shows how highly God valued children. They were gifts from the Lord, and a cause of pride and wealth.
Children are an asset to the family. Psalm 127 tells us, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. It is vain for you to rise early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Children add to the family as arrows do to the arsenal, and give protection, strength, and bragging rights to the household.
Psalm 128 says, “Blessed is every one that fears the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” One of the greatest blessings to a man that fears the Lord along with food, clothing, shelter, and safety from his enemies are his children and grandchildren. Proverbs 17:6 states, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” Proverbs 20:7, “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” The woman of virtue who is not lazy and provides for her household reaps this reward shown in Proverbs 31:28, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
There is a beautifully written article that I came across called “The Cost of a Child.” Though the author is unknown, it is worth sharing.
The Cost of a Child
“The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.
For those with kids, that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the money we could have banked if not for (insert your child’s name here). For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless.
But $160,140 isn’t so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That’s a mere $24.44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice says don’t have children if you want to be “rich.” It is just the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140?
– Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
– Glimpses of God every day.
– Giggles under the covers every night.
– More love than your heart can hold.
– Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
– Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
– A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
– A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
– Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
– You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
– You have an excuse to keep: reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.
– You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray-painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
– You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling the wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
– You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
– You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
– You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
– In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
– You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.
– You also have the wonderful benefit of eating [low calorie] egg salad sandwiches for 2 weeks straight… after Easter Sunday each year.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!! ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS!”
–Author unknown—
I am not sure exactly when this was written, however, the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 in 2021 has more than doubled and is now averaged at $310,605. However, the benefits have not changed. I can testify to this, having four beautiful, talented daughters and three grandchildren of my own. They have certainly been a blessing to our family and continue to be.
Though people will say I do not want to have children because we live in a different age and time, I would say to those who are able to have children, this is just selfishness talking. When has it not been that way. Every generation is different, and has its issues, however, each one must pass on something worthwhile to the next and leave a legacy for others to follow. Yes, things are more expensive, but wages are higher as well. Yes, the world is wicked, however, it has been since the fall of man in the garden of Eden. No, raising children is not easy, but well worth our while. We should dig deep and rediscover what really makes us ‘rich.’ Is it not the $310 thousand that we are saving by not have children, but the blessings that they will be in our lives if we do decide to bring them into the world. Jesus stated in Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” He placed foremost importance on children.
This is true in the physical realm as well as spiritual reproduction. Those who can, but will not work in the Kingdom of God and bear spiritual fruit are also self-centered. Yes, parenting and ministry are similar, and both a lot of work, but you have heard the saying, “What is worth having is worth working for.” After all, we have parents ourselves both physically and spiritually if we are a Christian. Someone took the time to bring us to the Lord, show us the plan of salvation, teach us Christian living, and put up with our childish ways. Our heavenly Father puts up with our nonsense daily, yet still loves us unconditionally. When we repent of our sins and turn unto him and are baptized in the name of Jesus, we take on the family name. Spiritually we have a new surname. We are adopted into the family, and can then call Him, Father. We then have the authority that comes with the name to work the works that Jesus did and even greater. We would not have this opportunity or chance of salvation if it had not been for someone else’s love toward us. God wants us to have our spiritual quiver full, just as we have natural born children. 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” He wants His family to grow. He wants us to be fruitful and multiply.
Parents as well as children have a role to play in their successful upbringing along with many benefits. The Lord’s instructions in varying forms, are mainly for the parents to teach, and the children to learn and obey. Proverbs 4 admonishes, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, ‘Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When you go, thy steps shall not be straightened; and when you run, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.’” Proverbs 22:6 tells us the action to take and the advantage of it, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 also tells us the action to take and some of the advantages. “Therefore, shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.” (The entire book of Deuteronomy is filled with this type of instruction to parents and children, and well worth reading for more information on this subject.) God wants us to instruct our children in the ways of the Lord, at all times, no matter where we are or what we are doing.
These things are so important to God, that He includes this instruction in the list of His moral law, which denotes his very nature, seen in Exodus 20:12, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” He does not change, neither has his commandments to us. Though we often just see His commandments as things we cannot do (through the mentality of a child), they are all crucial to our well-being and protection. He desires to give us good things and bless us, as even an earthly father does his own children. In Luke 11:5-13 Jesus said, “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks, receives; and he that seeks, finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he asks a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
I am sure you have heard of this, if not seen it yourself, before the advent of cellphones, a parent or grandparents strike up a conversation with a stranger, and not long into it, the wallet comes out and the long string of picture cascades down with an exclamation of glee. This is not only joy, happiness, and contentment, but pride of ownership as well. These are my babies or grandbabies. And then they begin to share the names, reasons for the names, ages, accomplishments in school, jobs and/or life, etc. Their quivers and hearts are full. They have been recipients of the blessings of the Lord and are sharing their gratitude. Though many would roll their eyes at this, it will mainly be those who have never experienced this joy, for this is how it is meant to be both in a physical and spiritual sense. Life perpetuates life. Joy begats joy. We should be able to brag on our offspring because we have put in the work to make them who they are and who they will become. Is everything always peachy? No, however, God has a way of allowing us to forget the hurts of childbearing and childrearing and remembering the times of laughter, hugs, growths, and accomplishments we have achieved along the way. A parent’s love is like none other, it mimics the love that our heavenly Father has for us. Filled with hope and faith, it constantly sees the potential rather than what has not yet come to fruition. It is unconditional. Do you feel blessed, rich, and filled with gratitude? Is your heart full of joy? Is your wallet photo album filled with moments to share? If not, you might want to examine your quiver and makes plans to fill it, whether physically or spiritually, because ‘children are a heritage of the Lord’!