Let's Help One More

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. - Mother Teresa

I read this on another mother's blog last week. I was crushed upon reading it and have chewed on it daily. This coupled with some other things in my life has been making reevaluate my life yet again. It is so easy for me to become complacent and begin living my life forgetting that simple decision I make could be having a lasting, eternal impact.

When did it become acceptable to live our lives however we want? When did it become normal to look like the rest of society? When did it become okay to jump in and pursue the American Dream?

I will tell you where my downfall has been. Living my life based on how other people are living their lives instead of continually taking it to the Word and seeing exactly how Jesus lived his life. As I have been digging in the New Testament I have not found one place that assures me that my life will be easy. That I get to decide how to live my life. That I can dictate how my life will pan out.

I find instead people who lost their lives (in the literal sense), who looked odd in the face of their society, who had to live by faith because they walked away from the comforts of their life, who were ship-wrecked, beaten.......

This whole theory that God will not ask you to do something that isn't already in your heart is bunk!! You read the Bible from cover to cover and you will find that nearly everyone had to lay down their lives, embrace discomfort, embrace persecution, death. The gospel is not easy but it is beyond worth it!!

As Americans it is easy to buy into the whole prosperity gospel (which I personally abhor). It fits right into the American Dream. The pursuit of happiness. But is it truth? How exactly do you take that gospel to the widow in the slums of South American who is prostituting herself in order to feed her children? How exactly do you take that gospel to people in Africa who have watched half of their family die of AIDS? Or have watched their children die a slow death of starvation?

I post the question: what if we took the opening comment to heart and started really evaluating how we are living our lives. Make frugal and wise choices - not because we necessarily have to but because we want to make our lives count!

It is not easy! Two things happen to me. I tend to be quick to judge others. And while I am busy judging how others are living their life I become discontent. I become disheartened and disoriented. Because I am looking at others instead of my Father. If I keep my eyes on Him, keep pursuing His heart, keep looking for ways to live with an eternal perspective instead of a "now" perspective I walk in peace. As soon as I fall into judgement of others I loose all peace.

I am getting to the point where I am more comfortable with the fact that my life is going to look crazy to other people. That we will get mis-understood if we add more children to our home. That we will be a spectacle when we go anywhere. That we eventually may have to drive a big van (ugh).

I again encourage people to go ahead and take the chance, the risk of opening their homes and lives to one of the 147 million orphans of the world!! You may adopt a child in your own backyard, across the country, across the world.....and if you really feel like you can't bring a child into your home I implore you to do whatever you can to sponsor a few children. Maybe limit the amount of times you eat out in a month. Maybe stream-line your clothing budget. Get creative! Get your kids involved. If they work a job ask them to chip in some money. Let's help one more! Each and everyone counts! I promise!!

I look at Eden on a daily basis lately and am beyond grateful for what God has done in my heart! I will update soon on where we are at with our darling daughter. She feels like my own! I can't explain it but something has happened in my heart. A work of God Himself. And a work has happened in her heart as well. Is is perfect? No!! But He has promised that if He begins a work in me He will see it through to completion!