As we have been celebrating Christmas over a multi-day period, my heart as been pulled in a few different directions. My heart hurts for the children in Ethiopia that don't yet have a mom or a dad. I want to make a difference. My heart hurts for the children in Russia that may never be given an opportunity to be adopted. I want to make a difference. My heart hurts for children in the USA that don't have a home to call their own. I want to make a difference. My heart hurts for children all over the world.
I fully believe that everyone is not supposed to adopt. However, we are all supposed to do something. We all have the ability to do something. I have the ability to do something. Now that Christmas is over and we are getting back to our "normal" lives - why don't you think about something that you can do to help.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is his: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27
Sure, my family has two children that used to be orphans so I should be "done" right? Nope! I have done my part and we have two ex-orphans living in our home. I can't be done. We can't be done. I'm not sure if that means more adoptions are in our future or what it means - but I do know that I just can't sit back and do nothing.
Here are a few things my family is doing to continue to help as we begin 2013:
- Give - We are going to give money to help others in the adoption process.
- Go - We are going to go on another mission trip to serve someone else. I want my kids to learn about serving others at a young age.
- Share - We are going to share our story. Our story of adoption may impact the lives of someone else. It was another adoption story that impacted our decision to start the adoption process in 2008.
- Pray - We are praying for the other children that need support or moms/dads.
Love this, Lesley. I am right there with ya!
ReplyDeleteHave you read Jen Hatmaker's Interrupted? Good stuff. I'm with you - we believe that it isn't a checklist of "good deeds" to do, it's a way of life - this "serving" thing that Jesus did... we are called to do it too and we aren't loosed from this expectation to live out God's word in a REAL way until Jesus comes back and the Earth is new again and at peace and all is restored. Until then, we are ALL called to do SOMETHING...often. Repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about it this way a little earlier today... In life, they say you are more likely to smoke if you know someone who smokes. You are more likely to get divorced if someone in your family or one of your close friends has gotten a divorce. But why do we have to focus on the negative things? If all of the above are true, then someone is more likely to adopt if they know someone who has adopted. It just makes sense! I know that we are adopting because of those around us who did. If we hadn't known anyone who had adopted, we probably wouldn't have, just because it would have been foreign to us! I believe that because of us, those that we meet will become more likely to adopt. Maybe they will, and maybe they won't... but they will be more likely to because we did. :)
ReplyDelete