If we are the Body...

To be honest, I can’t say that we talked a whole lot about adoption prior to learning about Ethiopia. Yes, fostering was somewhere on our radars “for much later on”. But adoption, with two already itty bitties in the house- we hadn’t really even had TIME to talk about that! 

The fact is, we were comfortable on the surface, and truly in need of a good “shaking up!” WE were the very people for whom David Platt wrote “Radical”. WE were the very people that needed to hear a convicting sermon on orphans and widows (link coming soon). WE were the very people that needed an email from a good friend about to leave on a missions trip to Ethiopia, and WE were the very people who needed to feel a little MORE UNCOMFORTABLE! 

Once we did, once our eyes were opened and our hearts were broken, WE were the very people who could hear God's call to adopt loud and clear! For us, our confirmations came quickly. I am certainly not saying that everyone should run out right now and submit applications to adopt without listening for God's call- BUT, we all can certainly do something to help! We can all sponsor a child, we can all contribute a one-time donation, we can all LEARN more about what is happening in regards to our nation’s children AND the world’s children. We can all be MORE AWARE that we are ALL much more comfortable than we’d like to admit to being. 

Back in fourth grade I remember learning something that stuck with me. Even as a very young child I remember thinking this was such a convicting statement. “Church is spelled C-H-U-R-C-H because U R the church”. If that is true, if we are the church, then we all should be carrying a much heavier burden to be the church Jesus envisioned:

Two verses stand out to me-

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”

Matthew 18:5

“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Matthew 25:40

We are a K-Love family. Because we listen only to K-Love in the car our kids have very little exposure to music other than worship music- and of course those lovely childhood classics they all manage to learn somewhere! We really appreciate the fact that our 2 year old considers his favorite song to be “Beautiful my sweet, sweet song” and sings it with as much gusto as the ABC’s. Actually, I think I will try to video him singing it and post it because it is quite entertaining how his voice pitches at certain parts!

All that was to say...there is an amazing song that I keep hearing on K-Love lately that says:

But if we are the Body  Why aren't His arms reaching  Why aren't His hands healing  Why aren't His words teaching  And if we are the Body  Why aren't His feet going  Why is His love not showing them there is a way  There is a way

If we are the body of Jesus, then our hearts should break for every thing that broke His- and when that truly happens we should NOT be able to keep our arms from reaching and our feet from going. Once I asked Jesus to break my heart for what breaks His, I was simply discontent sitting still. Yes, we are all tired- but this is when I make a broad sweeping statement and say that this is because here, in America, we are busy with busy-ness! I am as guilty of that as anyone, but being busy being Christ-like- now that is something I can aspire too! In fact, when I really challenge myself with that, getting out of bed in the morning is really easy...because the 16-17 hours (on a REALLY good night Ha!) that I am awake is not nearly enough time to do everything I KNOW I could! And I’ll be the first to say...enjoying and loving on my children is not only the most Christ-like thing I can be doing as a parent, it is also my primary ministry right now! I am so thankful for the discontent I have been experiencing- the world has so much more to offer me now- so many more people to love and to serve!