"So, do you think you all will change churches?? I mean..this is an ALL WHITE church??"
hmmm...Well, those comments did make me think...I mean..I do want the best for my daughter..I do want her to grow up and worship the Lord in a place where she feels comfortable and where at least SOME ONE looks like her.....My hubby's response:
"We're NOT going to change churches....We're just going to CHANGE our church!"
Wow....i liked that idea.....but WAS STILL NOT SURE it would ever happen. I obviously wasn't putting much faith into the Lord at that time...and had pretty much decided that we might be the ONLY people to ever adopt and have a heart for this in our church community....
BUT OH, HOW THE LORD BLESSED AND SHOCKED MY LITTLE MIND!! Friend after friend, acquaintance after acquaintance, stranger after stranger WOULD CONTACT ME with the most amazing NEWS to my ears: "My husband and I are thinking about adopting...could we talk with you!" Every single time this happened...I could almost feel God smiling down...I would get chills all over..and at that MOMENT (time and time again) I felt God's plan unfolding right before my very eyes: My daughter WOULD NOT be the ONLY adopted child in our YOUTH GROUP some day...THERE WOULD BE MANY!! More really than I can even keep up with now!! And, i'm certainly NOT saying it was all because of us..I don't want any credit here...ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD..and lots of these families had a heart for this FOR YEARS.....and something AT THIS PARTICULAR time pushed them over the edge to start the process!!!! And, it's NOT just Ethiopia (even though there is a ton)....there's South Korea, private domestic, foster care adoptions, etc... It's just all so neat to see!! God has truly done GREAT things in our community!! I like to think that our church now is just in the beginning phases of HOW HEAVEN WILL LOOK!! What a beautiful sight that will be!! :)
***So, one year ago on Orphan Sunday...our church didn't even MENTION the fact that it was Orphan Sunday!! Every Church around us was doing something to recognize the fact that 147 million children + still sit with out parents to love them...BUT for what ever reason...ours wasn't quite ready to jump on board....NOW this year...I guess enough important people have completed OR are in the process of adopting and THEY MADE SURE THAT OUR CHURCH WOULD BE PARTICIPATING IN ORPHAN SUNDAY!! And, so tomorrow, Sunday, not only will it be mentioned, but there will be tables set up representing Child Sponsorships, Foster Care, and Adoption!! Praise God!! We've come a long way (and thank you to those of you working so hard on this...I certainly have done nothing to help besides provide a family pic :) !! But tomorrow, I will be working one of the tables (wth both babes on my hips)...so I'm praying on this Orphan Sunday that MORE families are moved to NOT only READ scripture BUT to LIVE OUT the scripture!! We are ALL called to care for orphans in one way or another...and together...we can wipe out this horrific tragedy happening every day in our world: Human Beings...Little children no different than yours or mine, living a life with no one to care for them...no family to call their own!! And, it IS a tragedy that I don't do more, that you don't do more, that WE all don't do more to end this crisis!!
**So, I pray you will all join me tomorrow in praying for our WORLD'S FORGOTTEN CHILDREN!!! Because I KNOW that GOD hasn't forgotten them...He loves each and every child.... The question is: WHAT ARE YOU/WE GOING TO DO TO ABOUT IT??
Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.
**Happy Saturday to you all...kj
Ugg, pray for me I'm speaking in both services! Nervous! Hope your Orphan Sunday is blessed and fruitful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a testimony to the ripple effect of your YES! Obedience always brings blessings! So grateful for your example.
ReplyDeleteLove & Miss Ya,
Kim
Thank you for sharing, Kristi! That is my dream for my church! SO amazing to hear what has happened in your church just because you said yes to God! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, that is just what I needed to hear to be encouraged!! God has given me that same dream for our church but it can be scary sometimes. There are some days that I feel so confident in the Lord but then there just a few days that I worry that it won't happen. I know God has this desire for our church but it's scary to be the first one. I can't wait till our church is beaming with beautiful children from all over the world and a safe place for those in foster care! It will be a glorious sight indeed! All in God's timing!! Thank you so much for being so encouraging! Pray for us as we start the process and decide the place we are to adopt from!! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteMy heart needed to see this today.
ReplyDeleteI was supposed to talk this morning in our church about Orphan Sunday. I was supposed to show a video. Somewhere along the line I was removed from the worship order because of time constraints and never informed. I took it very personally and have spent my morning working on a good, deep, mad.
But reading this reminded me that it's not about ME. No matter how big my heart for orphans, God's is bigger and He'll make the progress so people see how important it it.
Maybe our adoptions will help change hearts. Maybe next year I can stand up at Orphan Sunday with my four adopted babies and host a table in the lobby and change hearts with our testimony. But it will be GOD'S will, not mine.
i cried when I read what your husband said about, "we will NOT change churches, we will CHANGE our church"...because our church is amazing, awesome and I love it BUT they do nothing for orphan sunday and I would love to change that for next year but it seems like a big task and I wonder how I will even start so this post was encouraging!
ReplyDeleteOh girl! My hubs and I were just having this conversation last night about Orphan Sunday. Our church is not participating this year.... but we vowed that we had to help change that for next year!
ReplyDeleteAnd.... I am so excited that there will at least be 2 other little Ethiopian cuties in our church along with Little Man! Hopefully some eyes will be opened and there will be a lot more orphans with forever homes in our church someday! :)
Girl, love hearing this about your church! Our church is like yours a year ago! Did not even mention the fact that it was Orphan Sunday today. But I just KNOW in my heart that will be different next year! We are starting to see SO MANY families in our church be called to adoption. God is moving in hearts and lives, and it is amazing to see! Praise the Lord!!
ReplyDeleteSuch an inspiring post! Be sure and add your adoption story to our Adoption Blog Hop!
ReplyDeletehttp://foster2forever.blogspot.com
Our Orphan Ministry has finally after years of prayers received the push it needs and deserves from our home church. It received mention in the Saturday and Sunday main services, our family was were fortunate to be the featured family in the weekly handout, there was a special afternoon service, and booths were set up with people eager to speak and to listen - it was beautiful to see so many of God's followers following!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so encouraging and a tribute to how submission to God's will yields the greatest blessings.
j
www.beneaththeacaciatree.com