Christianity is Adoption

You'd think with a house full of kids that the last thing I'd be thinking of is more kids. But, I just can't shake the feeling that God is asking us to do more. To make room for more. To care about more. To advocate for more. To change the world for more...............

Our pastor has been preaching out of Acts-an awesome series that has taught me a ton in the last three weeks. Sunday, he preached from Acts 8 about (appropriately enough) Phillip and the ETHIOPIAN. Phillip is coming home from a long journey after being on the road preaching the gospel when all of a sudden an angel of the Lord said "go south" instead. Now, Phillip has put in some serious time already. He had planned to go home and rest and now God wants him to reroute his GPS and "go south."

He could have thought up a thousand good reasons why he shouldn't go, but Phillip said "yes" to God and obeyed. Because of that decision, "the Ethiopian" was changed and modern day Christianity can be traced all the way back to Ethiopia. All because Phillip was willing to forgo his own comfort to advance the kingdom of God.

And so I ask, how much comfort are we willing to forgo?

And you may ask, "How does this even relate to adoption?"

Well, adoption isn't easy. Plain and simple. The decision to adopt, the process, the circumstances that led to the child needing to be adopted in the first place, the financing, the transition and bonding period after the child comes home.....none of these things are particularly easy and one can think up countless reasons (even good reasons....logical ones) why you shouldn't do it.

I've heard lots of good ones:
it's too expensive (not in God's economy)
I don't think I could love a child that's not my own (A lie from the enemy. NEWS FLASH: none of "our" children are "our own." They are ALL God's children--we're just lucky enough to get to love them for a while).
what would______think (they'll probably think you've lost it, but who cares)
my husband/wife doesn't want to (pray for them)
I'm too old (read this blog)
I just haven't felt called (James 1:27).............................

I've thought of a few good ones myself:
you have six kids (true)
you have six kids (yep)
you have six kids (that's about all I've got)
**note: since first writing this post, we have started the process of adopting our 7th child
--a son--to God be the glory**


But, I can think of one really good reason to do it---God did it for us.

The whole idea of Christianity rests on the truth that as Christians, we've all been adopted into God's family.

And let me tell you, our adoption was HARD. Our adoption COST more than we could ever calculate. Our adoption took SACRIFICE.

But most of all, our adoption into God's family took great LOVE.

If God can do that for us......why is it so hard for us to do this today for the more than 147 million orphan children around the world???

I recently read an article entitled, "Steve Jobs Changed the World: Adoption Changed His." I have to admit that I didn't even know who Steve Jobs was (I'm so out of the technology loop), but the adoption part caught my eye. It notes how foreign the idea of adoption is to most Christians.

Did you know that if just 7% of Christians adopted just one child, there would be NO MORE ORPHANS in the world???? That's just crazy when you think about it. The fact is however, that we are more inclined to tell others what not to do than to actual do something that can make a difference. If you asked a Christian if abortion was right or wrong, it would be a no brainer. Yet for every 340 abortions, only one mother is referred for adoption. The fact is that it's easier to point the finger than to actually be the change. Christians line up to protest, but far fewer line up to protect and provide.

Truthfully, it would be far easier and a lot more comfortable and way less complicated to say no to God's command to care for the orphans and the widows in their distress. Satan wants you to believe that as well. Remember, the bible says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." This couldn't be more true than it is with adoption. He hates seeing lives redeemed. But think about those that will miss out because of our decisions to play it safe.

Steve Jobs, Babe Ruth, Jesse Jackson, John Lennon and Nelson Mandela were all adopted. The world could have totally missed these influential people had someone not stepped up to raise these orphans up.

You never know who will be the next Mother Teresa, Billy Graham or Martin Luther King, Jr.

Worse than that though. Think of the little ones that will go to bed hungry or cry themselves to sleep tonight without the hope of a family.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to adopt, advocate for adoption, care for orphans and needy children, and serve the orphans of this world. I feel so lucky that God has made that clear to me. Our pastor said, "God often chooses to use the ordinary people to do extraordinary things." We'll, I couldn't be more ordinary and I pray that he will use my life to impact those around me for his glory.

Too much is at stake for us not to act.



True Religion from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.