If you know me in "real life" or on Facebook or from blogging, you know that apart from Jesus and my family, my #1 passion is vulnerable children. I want to share some of my story with you today.
When I was a little girl, while on vacation with my family, I saw a couple with a little girl who appeared to be Chinese - she was Asian anyway, and I thought she was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I said to my parents then and there, "When I grow up, I want a little girl from China."
Fast forward many many years. I never forgot what I said, and in my young heart, I sincerely meant it. It wasn't "spiritual" per say - but then again, now I know is that all of life is holy and that God plants many seeds in tender hearts that take years to come to fruition. Such it was for me. Life happened. I made many choices as I continued to grow up. Some of them were good choices and some of them were very very bad. Some things happened to me, along the road of life and some things happened because of me. Through it all, God was there - always working - as He will until the day He calls us home.
One day, when I was about 23 years old, God called me into a relationship with Himself. And everything changed. Everything. Suddenly, my desire to adopt was not about me anymore - it was about Him. It was about James 1:27. Friends, once we fall in love with Jesus, once He dwells within us - we have to care about the things He cares about. It is not an option. I believe in social justice - and that is very different from a social "gospel." The Gospel is not about me - it is not about orphans, or widows, or the homeless. It is not about "earning" anything. The Gospel is about Jesus. The Gospel is redemption - and once it redeems you, you are not the same. I do not love vulnerable children because I think it helps my standing with God. When Jesus died upon the cross and uttered in anguish those three words, "It is finished." Friends, it was. Your sin and mine died an ugly death that day -- so that we don't have to. Nothing I do makes the Father love me any more or any less. He does not see my for what I am, He sees me through the veil of what His Son did to redeem fallen humanity.
It is finished.
And yet....the ugly war between God and His enemy wages on, as it will until that glorious day when He returns to make ALL things new. The devil prowls, and darkness crowds, and children die. We all know Who wins the war, but here, in the kingdom of darkness, sin reigns. And it hurts. Before you lie down on your pillow tonight, 18,000 children will DIE of starvation and nutrition related disease. 18,000!!! Add to that some 850 million people who go to bed each night hungry. I don't think we can fathom "hungry" much less starving. Conservative estimates say that there are 147,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children who need a family. That is a number much larger than most of us can begin to understand. When I picture these precious ones crying out in the night and no one coming to comfort them, it is really more than I can handle. And I can't save them all. Katie Davis says, "I can't save the world, Jesus will do that. But, I can change the world by loving one person at a time." Friends, we can all change someone's world.
Five years ago this month, God brought to bear the seed He planted in a young girl's heart. Five years ago, on April 27th, I walked into the NICU of a metropolitan hospital and I stared down at the tiny little boy who had been growing in my heart for more than two decades.
This face changed our family. I always marvel that God uses little children the most. When our little man landed in our lives he was a premature, totally helpless little boy and we had no idea what his future would hold as far as medical or emotional needs. And friends, he ROCKED our world!!
Why do we adopt? To "save" a life?? NO!!! Adoption is not about a "savior" mentality. There is only one Savior, and you can be assured it is not me - nor anyone else in the adoption community. I am well aware that apart from Jesus, I can do nothing. There is not one thing good in me. No, we adopt because once you are redeemed, your heart's desire is to align with the things of God. And God's heart is for His children to care for each other. No matter what.
So - here is my idea! I have been praying about this and I am so excited to see what God is going to do. Our family is adopting again!! We are so excited, but I can't share any specific details about it yet. However, as I have been praying, I feel really strongly that as we bring home our next child, I want someone else who has said "yes" to God to be able to bring home theirs without worrying about the finances. God has graciously provided the funds we need for our adoption, but hands down, the number one reason I hear for why people do not consider adoption is the money. I firmly believe that God always pays for what He orders, but I also understand the overwhelming feeling of looking at an adoption contract and seeing the total costs added together. I do not believe adoption is for every family, but I do believe that caring for orphans is for every family that claims the name of Jesus. So - here is your opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to an orphan. Here is YOUR chance to change someone's world! And the best news of all, is that I think my idea is going to prove to you how God multiplies what we give and how absolutely easy it is to change the world when we all work together - the way the Body is supposed to.
So, friends - I am absolutely UNASHAMED to ask that each of you reading this donate $6 to the GoFundMe site that I have set up for fundraising and then share this on your Facebook and unashamedly ask each of your friends to donate $6. I am guessing that for anyone who may be reading this, $6 is not a very large amount of money. I do not want you to give any more than $6 on this site. Why $6?? Obviously, there are some costs involved when any fundraising site is used, so when you donate $6, the site takes 30 cents of that for their admin costs (which is very very little compared to most fundraising sites) - and that leaves just over $5 per donation, which is what I am looking for. I want to see how much money we can raise when we all give just a very little. Every penny you donate (minus the 30 cents) will go to bring a child into his or her forever family, you have my word on that. Our family will not keep ANY of the money you donate - and yes, I will share an update down the road about where your money went.
So remember - ONLY $6 per person, and then share on your Facebook. If you feel led to donate more money towards this fund, I would never dream of refusing that - but, please don't do it here on this site. Contact me on FB and we will work something out. I will never be accused of refusing money towards someone's adoption.
Click HERE to donate!!!
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