Lean into Life!

My neighbors, Diane and Dave, and Adrian and I started an adoption and orphan ministry at our church this past summer. I'd like to say we had high hopes of people coming out of the woodwork to support it but we were pretty realistic in our expectations. Unfortunately, we were pretty accurate in these expectations. Not one person has come forward with interest in helping out with the ministry or with questions about adopting or sponsoring an orphan. Hey, this is what we thought would happen so I'm not devastated but I am getting to the point of anger at our christian community's passivity. What do I mean by this. I'm continually amazed at how people come to sunday school class and just sit there and allow the leader to speak at them instead of participating. (Hey, I'm guilty of this too, though I can't say the same for Adrian. You can always count on him to participate.) We allow ourselves to be taught but we take no part in the teaching. It doesn't make sense. To quote a Pepsi or Coke commericial, "Wake up people!". It doesn't make sense because in order to learn, in order to grow, we must actively participate in our own education, in our own lives. O.k. maybe that is confusing. What I mean is that just sitting and being preached at isn't good enough and it isn't what God intended for us. He gave us free will to make choices. He gave us a voice to speak, ears to listen, hands to do good works. It shouldn't be good enough that your friend, neighbor, acquaintance is doing good works. You cannot live vicariously in this way. It doesn't count. You must lean forward into life, not back or you will find one day when it is too late that life passed you by. Whoosh! This is not practice. This is the real thing and you only get one go. How can you sit on your proverbial couch and think that what you are doing is good enough? Get up! Get up! Move! Do something! Participate in life. I know it's hard to join; it's hard to be the new guy but you're not new to God. Remember He knew you before you were born. God wants more from you not because He's keeping score, but because He cares about you so much He doesn't want you to miss out on this beautiful life He gave you. He doesn't want you to get to the end of your life and have regret because you didn't fully enjoy the gift He gave you. O.k., who am I to preach at you? I'm certainly not perfect and I too let fear manipulate me into losing out on God's gifts. I'm not saying I'm better than you because I'm adopting. I'm here to encourage you to step out in faith. To say yes to God's calling on your life. He would never ask you to do something and then leave you to find your own way. He is there for the duration. So go on, take a chance. Take that first step. Hold tight to God's hand and you'll be amazed at where he leads you.

Our Referrel!!!

Well, Friday, September 12, 2008 started out like any other day. I got up, worked out, showered, ate breakfast, threw in a load of laundry, and started homeschooling. We didn't get far into our reading when the phone rang. Luca loves to answer the phone so I said she could but when it stopped ringing before she could pick up I was secretly glad. I didn't have time to talk. I hate starting to school and then having to stop. The phone rang again though not to much later. Luca answered and gave it to me. It was Grace! Oh my gosh! Thank goodness we didn't screen. I think she said "Are you ready for a referrel?" I wish I had that moment on tape because it was so surreal I just don't remember exactly what transpired. I mean I knew this moment would come and I suspected that it would happen in September but I really figured it would be closer to the end of the month, not the middle. I have always been very good at containing my emotions and I'm sure Grace was probably thinking "what's wrong with this woman? Does she want a referrel or what?" I mean I made small talk with her for pete's sake!! Anyway, on to the good stuff. His name is Kidus. He is two months old and his birthday is June 30, 2008! Wow! That was a shocker. I didn't expect him to be so young. He was abandoned so he had to go through a two month wait period before he could become available for adoption. It's sad that he was abandoned. We'll never know anything about his history but it's good too because it should allow him to pass court easily. I say that now. We'll see. The courts reopen September 28 so Hope should be able to schedule our court date for sometime in mid-November. If we pass that first time travel usually follows about four weeks later! Wow and wow again! She emailed me his picture. Just one, only one. Oh how I want a thousand photos. She was supposed to fax his profile to Adrian at work but it didn't come so we are still waiting on that. I called Adrian at work but of course, he wasn't there. We had to wait for him to call us back! Arhhh! It was about an hour later but oh what an hour! In that hour I sent the girls off to pray. I said we had to make sure this is the boy God wants us to have. About two minutes after I sent them off to pray, Teagan came back and told me that God said YES. How can you argue with that? God said yes. Out of the mouth of babes! What a wonderful, glorious day! How ordinary it started out. How extraordinary it ended! Have I mentioned before how much I love God!