Check the Basket

At 3 months old Moses was put into a basket and sent down the river so he would be saved from the Pharaoh. Pharaohs daughter went down to the river to bathe and found the basket with Moses in it. She had to know what would be in the river because a few verses earlier we were told that Pharaoh ordered all baby boys were to be thrown into the river. Not a great place for a bath in my opinion. But God had a plan for the little boy in the basket and was able to use the family of the Pharaoh. As we continue to read we know of the amazing things God did through that little boy.



I can't help but wonder what is waiting in the 143,000,000 baskets today. When we look at some of the people who were once waiting in the baskets it is an amazing list. The Philosopher Aristotle, Bo Diddley (the musician), Eleanor Roosevelt (former first lady), Dante Culpepper (professional football player), John Hancock (Signer of the Declaration of Independence) and Nelson Mandella just to list a few. Nelson Mandella was not adopted until he was 9 years old. He was taken in by a family who loved and nurtured him and the people of South Africa are so thankful for the leader he became.



Does God have a basket waiting for you today? As Christians we first and foremost need to understand that all of the waiting children are loved unconditionally by the same God who loved us and gave himself up so we may live. What is God calling you to give up so an orphan can live? I understand that God is not calling all Christians to adopt, but there are so many ways we can honor God by helping one orphan at a time. (See the my favorite posts on the right for 10 Ways that every Christian can help an orphan or waiting child)



Psalm 68:4-6 Sing to God, sing praises to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds, his name is Lord - and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in family's, he leads forth the the prisoners with singing: but the rebellious live in a sun scorched land.



We are Gods family and the body of Christ is where he desires to place the lonely. Does God have a basket for you that you are afraid to open? Are you afraid that this will change your life? As an adoptive father I promise you that it will! Pray for Gods leading in where he wants to use you to help the orphans and follow the calling he lays on your heart. It can be anywhere from being an adoptive parent to simply praying regularly for an adoptive family, but open your heart to the possibilities.

A funny thing on the way to Chinese

Last night a few of us went to pick up Chinese, as we were leaving the parking lot there is a little day care place with the little buses out front when Abby asks "Why Mom?" I start telling her about the fact that some parents work long hours and the buses come get kids from school...... Abby grows more and more upset, "Cold Mom, Ethiopia Mom, no food" she is pratically in tears at this time when I catch a glimpse of what she is seeing. There are two people on a bench infront of the day care. "We will go back Abby we will help them okay." We turn around and go back, Abby is so upset her seat belt is off and she is ready to jump out of the car and run to help these poor people and then.... they are statues!!!

We laughed and laughed, it was a statue of a little girl reading a book to a little boy. I was happy that it was only statues but it brought back memories of cold, hunger, and despair for Abby. I am so thankful that I know God can use the worst of circumstances and turn them into something for His glory. Because Abby has known hunger, cold, and fear she is unafraid to seek those hurting out and to do all she can to help them. May we all have moments of laughter in our lives to mix with the tears of sadness. May we all use our sadness and pain to lighten the load of others.

Torn between two worlds

Little Abby's home sickness is profound. She has lost a very ill mother and a little brother whom she worries about anytime she is not busy. Her home, language, food, friends, and way of life. One moment she tells me she wants to stay with us until she is very old and literally two minutes later she is telling me she will go back to Ethiopia to marry and raise a family as soon as she is 18.

She is torn; her two worlds clash in so many ways. I am sad for her, broken with her, and waiting for God to turn her mourning into gladness. No matter where she goes neither place will really be "home" at least not right now. They both have good and bad things about them as every season of life has it's positive and negative attributes. Her favorite things about Ethiopia: Mom, brother, Ethiopian food. Her favorite things about America: Hannah Montanna, french fries, shopping, and powdered doughnuts! I don't know what the future holds perhaps she will return to Ethiopia when she is old enough and live out her days there. Perhaps she will visit and find that it no longer holds the memories and allure.

Numbers

I love numbers, I work with numbers, I often think in numbers. Numbers are always the same, there is no gray it is black and white it is right or wrong. Recently I was sent an email with some numbers that have caused me sleepless nights.

I have known for over a year that there are 143,000,000 (143 MILLION) children in this world who are waking up with no one to care for them. They survive the day to return to restless slumber with no one to hold them in the dark night. This is disturbing to me and I think it should be to anyone with a heart. But I learned something more heart wrenching than that....

There are 2,100,000,000 that is 2.1 BILLION people who claim to follow Christ in this world. With those statistics if 7% of those claiming Christ to be their Lord would adopt 1 (only one) child we could wipe out this sickening tragity called "orphans". I weep for the children, I weep for the families, I weep for the memories that have not been made, the lives that have been lost alone when God intended them to be in a family. There are people out there who God has been speaking too. Guiding to adopt He has shown them what to do but they have not been able to trust they have allowed fear.... selfishness... ignorance.... or perhaps a calloused heart... to keep them from paths of incredible adventure. We struggled with all of these things too; but this life is not our own, we have been bought with the blood of Christ. His heart should be our heart, His ways should be our ways. I am not pretending to be perfect or saying that I always do what God would want me to do.

I am sick and tired of living a life of routine, I am tired of being self absorebed, I am not an American.... I am a follower of the God of heaven and Earth. I am ready to be broken for Christ's sake, to live a life that is a clear picture of grace and love, I am ready to serve. Are you ready? What holds you back? I beg of you go before the Lord with an open heart allow Him to impart truth into your life and then ACT! The path is not always clear but the purpose is; that we may be known by the love we have for others.