Copyright 2004 by Terri and Tim Palmquist
(prologue)
Please God, not another child.
It may be more than we can handle.
This is not the way we planned it.
Can't you see we've gone too far?
(chorus)
But how can there be
too many children?
That's like saying
'too many flowers.'
How can we believe
there are too many children
and turn away from
the beauty of the flowers?
(verse 1)
A heavenly seed
was planted deep within
to bless this family.
Though we couldn't see,
soon it blossomed
like a beautiful lily.
A delicate rose,
each precious petal tells
of our Creator's worth.
Lord, increase us so
the fragrance of Your glory
fills the earth.
(chorus)
'Cause how can there be
too many children?
That's like saying
'too many flowers.'
How can we believe
there are too many children
when God is glorified
by the fragrance of the flowers?
(verse 2)
Lord, open my heart
give me a hunger for
the gifts you've planned for me.
Don't let me depart;
keep me following
this path I cannot see.
Maker of life,
You're the One who chose
to open up the womb.
Take away all my strife.
Help my heart
to have enough room.
(chorus)
'Cause how can there be
too many children?
That's like saying
'too many flowers.'
How can we believe
there are too many children
and turn away from
the beauty of the flowers?
(verse 3)
Your original plan
calls us to occupy
and fill this fertile land.
Through the strength of Your Hand
You've made us fruitful
and You've multiplied my seed.
How foolish of me
to try to turn away this gift
so ungratefully.
Why couldn't I see
Your strategy of blessing me?
(repeat chorus twice)*
How can there be
too many children?
That's like saying
'too many flowers.'
I'll never believe
God gave us too many children
'Cause God is glorified
by the fragrance of these flowers.
(epilogue)
Children are gifts from God.
This baby is a special blessing.
This is just the way He planned it.
How could I have been so blind?
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Do we have too many children? Some of our extended family members believe that we do, and sometimes we have even felt this way. But we thank God that he hasn't allowed our blindness to stand in the way of giving us more children than we thought we could handle. How truly poor we would be if we had rejected these precious, "unplanned" gifts from God!
I first performed this song at the LifeSavers Ministries Labor of Love banquet on June 17, 2004. Terri stood next to me as I sang this song, and every time I sang the word "flowers," one of our children walked into the room and presented Terri with a flower, beginning with the oldest (Andrew) and ending with the youngest (Sarah).
Because this performance was designed for each of the children to present Terri with a flower, the song was extended slightly. As originally written, the full chorus is repeated only three times (with each chorus mentioning flowers twice). In order to mention flowers ten times, two additional choruses were added. (The version of the song you hear here includes these extra choruses.)
Although I was full of emotion throughout the song, the epilogue was particularly touching. As I sang "this baby is a special blessing," I looked at baby Sarah, and she looked up at me with a beautiful smile while she made sweet baby sounds. (Too bad we didn't capture this on video!)
Terri wrote the original words and music for the chorus as a slow, quiet song. She also wrote the music which I adapted for the prologue and epilogue. But I sensed a more upbeat feeling for the central part of the song, and so wrote it with more of a jazzy feeling than Terri had initially envisioned (after all, doesn't a bouquet of flowers deserve an upbeat accompaniment?).
- Tim Palmquist