"Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God, the Father,
is this: to visit orphans and widows
in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained
from the world."
James 1:27
Many people will ask, why adopt? They ask this for many reasons, none of which I am going to get into at this time, because it really does not matter. Most questions come from well meaning friends and family who truly love and are concerned about us.
My answer to this is becoming more refined as time goes by. It has grown from "Kristi and I want to have more children in our home" to "We want to train more warriors for Christ" to "God commands us to take care of the orphan." Though I still agree with all of these thoughts, I think I am getting better at summarizing my thoughts and placing them under one statement, "the gospel".
As I was preparing a sermon for an upcoming church service, I was reading through I Peter 3 when Peter talks about baptism being similar to the flood and Noah's family. This really struck me because it related so much to adoption. My adoption into the kingdom of God.
I am a sinner, wicked from birth and just like the many who died in the flood of Noah's time, I had no hope of life. That is where the amazing thing happens, just as God chose to save a small remnant (Noah and his family; 8 in all) He also chose to save me and adopt me into His family. I did nothing to deserve it, I should have died in the flood of sin just like many others, but instead God saved me.
He is now asking me to be available to open my home and my heart to adopting a child. It is as if I am riding on the ark and there is a child floating on a log and God is giving me the opportunity to reach out and pull them on board.
I know that bringing a child into my home will not save them.
That is God's decision, but I do know that if I bring a child into my home, he/she will hear the gospel over and over again. I have been given the great privilege of sharing the gospel of Christ with whomever will listen.
As we embark on this next step in life, there are many unknowns; money, travel, timing, health, etc. I do not know what the future holds for us, but I will make myself open and available to whatever it is God has in store for us. If He gives me the opportunity to extend my hand into the water and pull another child onto the ark, I want to be ready.
We are having a special ONLINE ADOPTION FUNDRAISER with a MEGA GIVE A WAY you can come on over to my wife's blog, Goodness and Grace and find out more about it. If you feel led to participate, please feel free to come and join in on the fun.
Tom
"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in His holy habitation"
Psalm 68:5
