Sometimes I wonder if people really understand Christ’s
reason for coming to Earth. I’m not talking about unreached people, I’m talking
about the people who proclaim Christ as their Savior, the people we sit next to
in church, the ones we have Bible study with weekly. Because it seems to me
(and I fall into this as well) that we see it as Christ came, died for US,
adopted in into HIS family, and now offers us eternal life and now we can sit
back and relax. All we have to do is read our Bibles, sing songs at church, be
a nice person and it’s all good cause God loves us and now we can enjoy our
time on Earth since we’ve been saved.
WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!!!!!
Please tell me the last time you read the Bible and it said
this life was all about us living a life of comfort and leisure. A life where
God would never make anything bad happen to us and all we have to do is stay in
his good graces. Last I heard, IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST! It may seem as if I’m
very passionate about this and maybe even a little harsh, but you know what,
it’s because I think we as a church have gotten it wrong. I think we so often
forget that this is not about us, my life is not about me getting my dream job,
or dream car, or only having 2 kids that way I can spoil them rotten, or
partying our life away with the mindset that Jesus will forgive us in the
morning. Our lives are to be a reflection of Christ. Our marriages are to be a
reflection of Jesus and his bride. Our families are to represent the heart of
adoption that God has for us as his children. We are to be a servant to all, to
lay our lives down, as Christ did, whatever the cost. Jesus paid attention to
those that the disciples easily missed or looked over and brushed off, who in
our own lives are we brushing off? Thinking, they’re weird I don’t want to be
associated with them, they’re too far from saving, it’s not my job to take care
of them, or they got themselves in that mess it’s their own fault.
Now you may be wondering, what sparked this passionate fiery
(actually I’m always passionate and fiery) blog post? Well, since the day I was
born I have had a heart for the orphaned both physically, mentally, emotionally
and spiritually. And I am always up for conversation with people to talk about
God’s heart for the lost and broken and I’m always curious to see people’s view
on adoption and such. So one woman I was talking to recently, I asked her about
adoption and her views. She was pro adoption, which made me happy but her views
left me dumbfounded. She said if she were ever to adopt it would only be a
national adoption (which is totally fine! Just hear me out on my point) because
she wouldn’t want to take a child from another country because she didn’t want
them to be stripped away from their culture, language and their own people. For
those of you who look for an argument or a flaw in conversation, I would like
to point out that yes I understand there are some countries that do not allow
outside adoption for that very reason. Such as Cambodia. Now if there is an
obvious wall up, that the government has set up and it’s not a heart issue then
yes, maybe we should honor Cambodia’s decision in not allowing outside
adoptions and instead intercede for Christian families to rise up within the
nation to take care of the lost children within their country.
As for me I think it is possible to be a great parent to
someone of an opposite culture, as long as you are willing to work at it.
(There are many ways in doing so such as either moving your family to that
specific country so they child will grow up in that atmosphere or even bringing
them back to the States, but in doing so reminding them of where they came
from, that that is special and unique encouraging them to research their home
country and to pray for it daily. You can cook ethnic food in order to give
your child a taste of what they would be missing or learning about the
countries history or listening to their music etc. It’s not entirely
impossible.) If God calls you to adoption and you come up with excuses such as
money, you heard it was hard or the cultural or obvious physical difference
then what do you think Christ was thinking when he came and died for us? I’m
pretty sure God wasn’t up there thinking, ehh maybe I shouldn’t send my son for
them, they disobey and don’t always listen to what I tell them. They’re very
stubborn and there are so many of them it would be hard to reach them all, and
there are so many languages how is it even possible. NO! Of course not! God in
all his might love and compassion sent his only son to die for us, ALL OF US!
Even when we walk away, even when we disobey and rebel, even though we are all
different both in language, our color of skin and our cultures, he loves it
all, he embraces us all. And I think THAT is the picture the church is suppose
to be. Not just a place where people come to hear a good story and sing, but a
place where the broken and weary are welcomed not shunned and judged, a place
where families understand the importance of adoption and where a heart for the
nations is born. Jesus came as a servant, not a king to be served, but to
serve. So this life, that we’re living, right now, shouldn’t it look like that?
Stopping for the one, doing whatever it takes to show the love of Christ.
I know for me I will never forget, while I was in Uganda and
we were in town and I saw another American family. Of course I ran over with
excitement not even knowing who they were and asked what they were doing. I
noticed the couple was fairly young, in their early 30’s, they had three
adorable children yet even more surprisingly they were pushing a Ugandan baby
in a stroller. So being the person I am, I asked them, is this a child you are
adopting? And of course the answer was an excited yes. They said they felt a
call from the Lord to adopt, yet they felt like it wasn’t wise because they
were young they already had three children and adoption cost tens of thousands
of dollars and even more discouraging was the adoption agency they were going
with required that the adoptive families live in the country for a year with
the child before taking them back home. But they couldn’t shake the feeling
that this was what God had called them to, they shared with me God’s heart for
adoption, and that it was our job as a church to rise up and care for those
around us, even if it meant spending a year in a third world country for a
child they didn’t even know. They said when they finally made the decision,
they would do whatever it took to make sure that baby became a part of their
family, including leaving their comfortable lives and moving to Uganda for a
year waiting for a baby. What a picture a sacrificial love. Are we willing to
do what it takes in order to be the hands and feet of Jesus? Are we willing to
leave our comfort zone and perfect little lives in order to serve and be a
light and witness to those around us?? Because if we as a church don’t love the
unloved and show them the love of Christ, then who will?
-soul searcher
