Weird or Holy??

Look at this face!

Those huge eyes melt my heart every single time I look into them.  I have said it before, but I can't say it enough - this dream baby has changed us forever.

Today I heard the comments Pat Robertson made regarding adoption.  He ended his ridiculous statements with this quote, "You don't have to take on someone else's problems."

Wow.  I am so glad that Jesus didn't say that before He hung on the cross.

Sorry, but, I don't have to take on the problems of the world.

He would have been justified in saying such a thing, but for our sakes, He chose the cross.  He chose the pain, the suffering, the humiliation - He chose the problems.  Someone else's problems.  Jesus was perfect.  He did nothing to deserve the pain He endured.  We did nothing to deserve the love that flowed.

Everything my faith teaches is the opposite of what Pat Robertson said in that question and answer session.  We do have to take on someone else's problems.  We are called to help the helpless.  It is the central message of the gospel.  It is our problem. Could Mr. Robertson have missed that in all his years as an evangelist?  I don't know and I am not going to even try to analyze what he might be thinking.  All I do know is that he is becoming a stumbling block and most definitely needs to retire now before he does even more damage to his ministry.

What I do want to share today is a personal story.  Our family's story.

When we adopted our precious boy two years ago, we had no idea what his future might look like.  We knew he was born with a club foot, which was an easy fix.  However, there were other things that we did not know.  We did not know if the drugs his birth mom took during her pregnancy would affect him for life.  We did not know if the virus she carried in her body would be passed on to our son.  We did not know if he would have physical, mental, or emotional issues from poor pre-natal care.

I am not sharing this to say we did something "good" by adopting him.  No, he has blessed us far and away more than we will ever bless him.  However, I am sharing this to say that none of those things mattered.  They didn't matter then, and they don't matter now.  He was knit together by an Almighty God who NEVER, EVER makes mistakes and his life was worth fighting for.  He is worth any amount of time it takes, money we spend, or tears we shed to make sure he has the opportunity to become ALL that God created him to be.

Our son has so far been healthy.  His foot responded to the treatment, the virus was not passed to him, and so far he doesn't seem to have any negative symptoms from the drugs.  However, some children do have ongoing special needs and that is OK!  God still did not make a mistake and those children are still worth it.  Some children have ongoing emotional needs that stem from abuse inflicted upon them by someone else.  Adults who should have cared for them and instead hurt them.  They are worth fighting for, even if it disrupts your family.

Our family has been called many things over the years as we have made decisions that go against the "norm" of society.  Sadly, many of our decisions also go against the "norm" of Christian society, though personally I simply see the things we do as responses to our faith.  

Mr. Robertson said your adopted child might turn out "weird."

God said, "Be holy therefore because I am holy."

I can not help but make the following comparison.  In Strong's Concordance the word "holy" is defined as," hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer,  (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

Keep that definition in mind as you read the dictionary.com definition of "weird."
"refers to that which seems by its nature to belong to another world."

Mr. Robertson, since it brings glory to my God, I am proud to be raising "weird" kids and I would be honored for you to call me "weird" as well.