I blogged before that our refrigerator was dying; it finally did and we had to buy another one. I was not really happy about buying a new one since we are trying to save money not spend money. We got to Sears on the last day of their 12 months same as cash...so now we have a payment...arghhh! God knows what He is doing so payments here we come!
I just got done reading a beautiful book by Michelle Gardner called Adoption as a Ministry, Adoption as a Blessing. I would recommend this to ALL believers in Jesus Christ, or even those who don't know Him yet. Adoption is such a wonderful example of the Father's heart for ALL of us. On earth He lets us do what He wants to do for us, adoption. When we adopt children, or others around us adopt from many different people groups, this is His picture to us of why Jesus came to die in our place...so God the Father could call us His children.
Some may wonder, why adoption? You might adopt a child that has special needs that you don't know about, some mannerism that is different than you might be used to. Another color, another culture, customs that we don't understand. And not to mention the expense!
Why adoption?, YOU may wonder. Well, isn't that what Jesus did for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He did know all about our nasty sin nature. He did know that we were against His ways and would fight against Him and His plans for us, BUT GOD decided it was worth it!! Even with the end result in mind, that some would reject him forever, He still thought it worth it to hang on a Roman cross, humiliated, naked, rejected, spit on, beaten, bruised, bleeding...for me, for you!
So I would say that Jesus thought it worth it, shouldn't we? Shouldn't we think it worth it to adopt so we can share the Love that Jesus showed us to a child that might not otherwise hear the good news of the gospel? Not only should we, but we are told by James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. The word here visit is episkeptomai, (ep-ee-skep'-tom-ahee) which means to go to see, relieve:--look out, visit. We are not to just sit idly by while the orphan and the widow die in their misery or starve or go without knowing Christ. It is our religion before our God to go see, relieve and look out for them. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth.
So what can you do? You can start by praying for God to show you His heart for YOU in this matter. Does he want you to adopt? Foster? Relieve someone who has a special needs child for a date night as a couple (just because someone has adopted a special needs child does not mean that they don't need any breaks to refresh!). Financial help, adoption is very expensive for many reasons (that you can ask me about later or research on your own) so you can give monetarily to families who seek to bring their child home. Verbally support someone who is adopting and let them know you are behind them as a church body. There are so many obstacles to adoption of any kind, international or domestic, foster or family, that sometimes people who are in the process feel beat down and rejected and alone themselves. Having the support of the body is a wonderful, beautiful thing to behold!
Rick and I are in the process of praying for an adoption ministry for our church. We would like to start one so people of the body can be more informed about adoption, and also to help those that want to adopt. We also have another couple that would like to go hand in hand in this ministry. Right now we are in the praying stage.
There are many ways that you can involve yourself in the cause of the orphan and widow. Be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as you pray through seriously how the Lord might use you to further His Kingdom, because in the end that is what is comes down to, His kingdom.
Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
from the heart of an adoptive mama~
Well said :)
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