My praise of The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns might be getting a little redundant, so my apologies. I have just been so challenged by reading this book. I finally got the Good Doctor to pick it up and even he was (almost) willing to follow me in an attempt to adopt and save all the orphans out there.
I find myself thinking of situations in such a different light since being challenged by Stearns to surrender all to Christ's Will. Not to say, "I'll give you everything, Lord. Just don't ask me to give up my house, my cottage at the lake, my yacht, my child's school, my career, etc." Instead, with open arms I need to say, "I'll give you everything, Lord." Simply and with faith that no matter what happens, it is part of a greater story which I have not written.
Recently, in a conversation about our adoptions, someone said to me, "Well, I hope that works out for you." It took me quite some time before I figured out why that statement bothered me so much but I've come to realize that it's the approach to life, seen behind this statement, that troubles me. The person who said this is a Christian. Like many American Christians, we've come to appreciate our comfortable lives and don't want sacrifice, complications, or "messy" situations to get in the way of that comfortableness. It's that sense of entitlement that I'm always fighting against in my children. If we look at our families, for example, from an American standpoint, "easy" or comfortable is good, "messy" is bad. In this view, raising children, adopted or biological, can be deemed successful by how well it "works out" or looks to our human eyes.
However, from a Biblical standpoint, "I hope that works out for you," should have a totally different result. Did it "work out" for Joseph in prison? Paul and Silas ended up there, too. How about the many martyrs through the years? Or the missionaries at the end of the spear in a remote jungle. Here on earth it looks as if things didn't work out. From Heaven's eyes? Perfect.
A friend recently asked me to schedule some time with her as she and her husband are getting closer and closer to their anticipated adoption. As I've contemplated what to share with her, I really think this is where I'm going to start. If God has truly called you to adopt (or pack up and move, or minister in Ecuador, or start a new non-profit, or . . . ), then the good news is that it WILL work out because we DO know the end of the story. Will it look the way you expect? Probably not. Messy in the meantime? Maybe. Filled with blessings and help from above? Absolutely. And in the end? A reward ready and waiting.
Might I need a few trips to the Funny Farm before it's all over? Yeah. In fact, I was there today. But that's okay.
Very well said, Cindy. This says so well some of the things we've processed along the way. It isn't about our comfort or convenience. We're doing this because we know it is what He wants, and we trust Him to handle the details and the results. It isn't easy, but it is so much more amazing and fulfilling than the comfortable life of complacency.
ReplyDelete- Sam