When we were in China adopting Eli, I was having a hard time. I had horrible panic attacks all night long, and couldn't eat. This left me completely exhausted and sick. By the time we got to Guangzhou, the last leg of our journey, I was at the end of myself. Then one day, walking in the park, we saw an American couple with their new son who looked about Eli's age. We struck up a conversation, and learned that we shared very similar adoption stories - more importantly, we shared a faith that God had led our families to make the leap of faith that had put us together in that far off foreign land. Talking to Cindy that day filled me with new strength, and I know that God sent her to me that day as surely as He had sent her to her son, Zach. I continue to get encouragement from her, each time I read her blog. Cindy has such a heart for God, and as a result, such a heart for the fatherless.
She speaks the truth with a boldness that I have a hard time mustering - I have buckled under the blanching faces of friends and family members when I begin to talk about the conviction that Christians should feel for the fatherless children of the world. I've found that most people don't want to hear it, and some even become offended and feel as though I'm shoving my calling down their throats. I have been told that "not everyone is called to adopt" - at which point I climb down from my soapbox with my tail between my legs. I try to accept that you can't make people hear what they refuse to hear . . . but what I've really done is hidden the truth of what God has shown me, fearing the reaction of the world.
Yesterday was a very black day for me, and this morning I went to her blog to see if she'd posted anything new. She had, and her words were so poignant that I had to share them here. She's given me permission previously to quote her blog here, so here it goes:
What is more important to you? Is it more important for you to have a luxury car, or for a child to have a loving family? Did you know that the difference in cost between a luxury car and a relatively nice car is approximately the cost of an adoption, which could help a family who couldn't otherwise afford to adopt a child?
Is it more important for you to have large savings/retirement account for your future, or for people with nothing to have a future to hope for?
Do you need lots of fancy furnishings? Or is it more important for your neighbor to have food and clothing?
These are real choices we make when we open up our checkbook. I am not condemning decisions we all have made that benefit ourselves. I just think it is important for us all (me included!) to recognize more often the good that can be done for Christ when we make decisions about what to do with our money.Christians are called to love their neighbor as themselves. If we are truly honoring this command, then our neighbors needs would be met before our wants are met. Certainly this is very hard to do. It is not something we can do perfectly. But we should at least try. Of course, we can spend our money on ourselves. Scripture doesn't say we can't, and I am not implying that we can't. But our desire and our priority should be reaching the lost and giving them the hope we have in Christ. Having nice things is certainly not a crime. But we do run the risk of failing to see that we have built up too many treasures here on earth that moths and rust will destroy, that could instead have been stored up in heaven. Christ warned us against this.Yes, God can bless us when we honor him. But I find nowhere in Scripture that says he blesses us materially so that we can glorify ourselves. We should use His blessings to HIS glory, not ours. After all, when he places material blessings in the hands of Christians, isn't he putting back in His own hands? As Christians, we should be more excited about reaching others with the message of the gospel and offering eternal hope, something Christ would be excited about, rather than having lots of expensive things. That is what it means to "delight in the Lord." The health and wealth heresy has crippled the message of Christ because there are so many material blessings spent to the glory of individuals, leaving so much kingdom work undone. As John Piper said in a sermon I heard last year: God is NOT glorified when Christians drive expensive cars and wear expensive suits.
Thank you Cindy, for submitting to the Holy Spirit from where I believe those words came.
Love,
Jen
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2 comments:
Dear Jen, I just left a comment for you on my blog but I want to share how much it meant to me when we met in China. I still marvel at how God worked that out. Here we are, adopting an 8 year old boy, everyone else with their strollers containing little girls, and we run into you! Could it be more perfect, more encouraging, more meaningful? To know that others took that leap of faith, too, against the tide of negativity that gushes out when you say you are adopting an older BOY! What a gift that was to both Steve and me. Thank you so much for continuing in the mission we both have a passion for -- helping others see the importance God places on these precious children. Herein lies a great uphill challenge, but together we can make a difference (where two or more are gathered in His name...).
In Christ!
Cindy
AMEN! what else can you say- I also had a panic attack in china-it was the second night-I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital-I did talk with another christian family there adopting-I Thank God for sending them my way-I think I would have went to the airport with out my daughter or husband at that point- It is not easy but we must do what God calls us to do and i really wanted to do but satan can sure make something wonderful bad really quick! That is why God always is there for us even in China!
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