Blinders

Brent is away tonight and I should be asleep. It's 1:30am, but I can't keep my eyes CLOSED. God has been keeping me up and laying His hand heavy on me tonight. So I'll share with you what I've been discussing with Him...I'm sorry if it's a bit incoherent and jumps around. It is late...

You see, I never, EVER considered adoption before this past summer. I always figured adoption was Plan B for people who couldn't have their own biological children. People who were finally sick of dealing with infertility and wanted to move on.
But, now I feel like I have had huge blinders falling off of my eyes! Kind of like how Paul received his sight again and "things like scales" fell from his eyes!

Suddenly, I am extremely aware of this GINORMOUS need that is in our world.

ORPHANS.

In fact, the number I keep seeing everywhere is 143,000,000.

That's 143 MILLION children in our world who may never know what it is like to be hugged by a momma, or wrestled with by their dad, or had their tears wiped away, or taught how to ride a bike as their dad held onto the back.

They will never know what it's like to feel included in a family. All they will know is abandonment and sadness. If you spend even 5 seconds looking at some photos of orphans, you'll see it. I guarantee it. It's in their eyes, just behind the plastered-on smile they flash for the person taking the picture.

These children need families. God designed children to be in families. To have a mom and a dad who will love them and not leave them. We, of all people, should get this point! We have been hated and mistreated and abused by our first parent-Satan. Yet, God's heart was moved toward us. He ripped us away from our horrible circumstances and wrapped us so lovingly in His arms. He wiped our tears and comforted us, and restrains us even when in moments of deception we run back toward our former family. He even filed the paperwork, signing our adoption decree in his own blood. He calls us His child even when we look or act or speak nothing like Him. This is our adoption story.

Don't you just want to climb to the highest mountain and scream at the top of your lungs how wonderful being an adopted child is? We can.

We have a WIDE OPEN MISSION FIELD, my fellow believers! This is how 143,000,000 people can see Christ! When we show them OUR Father through our hands, and our arms, and our feet, and our kisses, and our smiles- we can radically change the spiritual dimension of our world!

Just imagine if every Christian family started to live out God's command to "care for widows and orphans in their distress". We could pour Christ's love into their lives and they would see what it looks like to be adopted into God's family. But, will we do it?

What if Christians made adoption Plan A instead of thinking of it only as Plan B, like I did? Our witness in this world would look a lot different, I'm guessing.

What if, instead of pouring our money and time and energy into things that we will be leaving to rot for all eternity when we are dead and gone... we got radical?

What if we decided to invest in someone's life and show them what God did for us when He adopted us into His family?

What if we loved orphans the way God loved us?

What if...God is calling you to tear away blinders?

What if He is asking you to sponsor an orphan financially so he can survive a few more months until a family is found for him?

What if He wants you to forego the excessive display of materialism this Christmas and celebrate in a way that would ACTUALLY give Him glory?

What if He is calling you to come alongside an adoptive family and encourage them in their mission?

What if he is asking you to financially support a family who is answering the call to adopt?

What if God is calling you to fast and pray and love the hurting like He does?

What if He is asking you to get rid of stereotypes and prejudices and enter someone else's culture- like He did with us?

What if He is asking you to step out of your comfortable American Bubble and see the children that are a part of His Church?

What if He is calling you to be a soft place to land for foster children who have been tossed aside in our society?

What if He is calling you to be crazy....and adopt one of these children? Just, what if...?

Guess what. He is calling each one of us to one of these "what ifs". It isn't just a suggestion to "care for the orphans in their distress. It is a command. We, His Body, have no excuses. Don't keep blinders on. Let them fall from your eyes.