Tired of disappointing conversations about adoption with people who have so much to give.
I don't know how else to word it.
Had another one today.
Orphans are everyone's responsibility. It is in the Bible.
I know I must annoy people. And if it was my goal to convince everyone to do something that didn't matter like have white minivans because we have a white minivan, then I would shut up and stop trying to show people the advantages of having a white minivan.
But then I think of these verses
Proverbs 31: 8-9 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy"
I am sure I will be even more annoying after going to Ethiopia and seeing firsthand the many children needing parents.
Imagine this for a moment
You go to a town near you and see a terrible tragey taking place. What if in that town, there were 1 in 4 women dying in childbirth or pregnancy related problems? What if there were children literally starving to death and dying of preventable problems?
What if you heard the true story of an 8 year old boy whose mother left him alone with his 8 month old sister and never returned. And he spent the next two months taking care of his sister by going place to place begging until finally someone got them to an orphanage and soon they will have a family to take care of them?
If you went to that town and someone there said "you can help, please help, you can take one of these children in and give them hope" Would you? Even if it cost quite a bit of money?
Could you do without the fancy car? the huge house? eating out?
Would you?
What about that extra room with your computer? That would fit a child.
What about the playroom? It could literally save a life!
What if you are like us and are going to squeeze 7 people into 1200sq ft ? Sounds like a great adventure to me. They may not have much room inside, but they will be full of love and family.
This place does exist and all that I wrote above exists, except it isn't in the next town from us, but thank God for technology and inventions in travel over the last 100 years , it possible for those that love God to help someone clear on the other side of the world.
Let's go a step further...if you did see all the need in that town nearby, and you helped by taking a few of the children in yourself, could you come home and not talk about it?
Could you know about this terrible need and at the same time, see all that the people you know have to offer, things that could help many of the children you saw in need.
Could you not talk about it? Could you keep it quiet so they can pretend that they aren't called to help?
So people, cut me a little slack... I see a great need... I see resources to help that need...And I see ambivalence.... and it really depresses me.
If you saw that tragedy in the town next to you and you came back and told your friends of the need and they really didn't care. I mean, they were ok with you helping, but not them.?
See I really want to stand up in a crowd and say "these statistics are real people, real children with souls, and you, and you and you can help, you can make a difference. Why won't you help? Why don't you care? And before you say that you care, let me say more "why don't you care ENOUGH to do anything? Why don't you care enough to be "burdened" (I say blessed) with another child? Is it about you? Is the Christian walk about you? Is adopting a child always going to be about you? Can't it be about them? Can't it be about Him?
But you know what I remember? I am the one blessed! I am the one that will have 5 pairs of arms to hug me (and hopefully more than that someday)
We are the ones with our quiver full of arrows!
I can only control myself, and I can only change myself.
I can only plant the seeds.
I can only do so much, but I can't pretend there aren't more orphans waiting for their parents. And I also can't pretend that adoption is only for a handful of people.
There is a need, there is a church, and I believe that God would equip the church to meet that need, IF the individuals would do it.
And before you argue that "not everyone is called to adopt" which I have heard many, many times, well, I am not stupid, I realize that, but looking at the 147 ,000 orphans in this world and God's love for them that He expresses over and over in the Bible coupled with the fact that there are numerous verses telling us to care for the needy, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, TAKE IN THE STRANGER you can't convince me that God doesn't have a plan for these children and that plan involves us.
Please, you may not be supposed to adopt, but have you prayed about it or decided that on your own? I would like to end with two things that I saw on other blogs and am probably not quoting them well, but maybe I will get the gist of them
1. I was going to ask God why he allows suffering and pain in this world, when I realized that He might ask me the same question.
2. Don't wait to be called to do something that God has alreaded commanded you to do in the Bible
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