This weekend was our church's missions conference, it was called Reach 2011: The Power of 1. Unfortunately I was unable to come; an emotionally exhausting week and physically exhausting day had me sleeping on the couch shortly after Gabe went to bed Friday evening. Matt said it was fabulous though and now I'm itching to go to a missions conference.
Whilst I missed the conference on Friday, there was a speaker today was inspirational. Some of the things he said were like God whispering in my soul. Don't you just love when you're sitting in a church service and you feel like the pastor is talking directly to you. Today was like that, but more surreal as I know he was saying things God wanted me to hear.
Like the power one person has through the many different opportunities God provides to us. One of the things that really stuck was that he said people always say they are waiting for God to call them into missions. But he said that God has already called each of us to The Great Commission:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20
God's obvious call for each of us to go spread His word reverberated in my soul then and when Matt and I talked about it after service. And Matt so easily related the call of ministering to the far ends of the world to the call for adopting.
Just because you don't feel God's call for you to adopt or support adoption, that doesn't mean anything. Scripture after scripture is already written instructing you to care for the orphans.
"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
"This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the stranger, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." Jeremiah 22:3
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Whilst I missed the conference on Friday, there was a speaker today was inspirational. Some of the things he said were like God whispering in my soul. Don't you just love when you're sitting in a church service and you feel like the pastor is talking directly to you. Today was like that, but more surreal as I know he was saying things God wanted me to hear.
Like the power one person has through the many different opportunities God provides to us. One of the things that really stuck was that he said people always say they are waiting for God to call them into missions. But he said that God has already called each of us to The Great Commission:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20
God's obvious call for each of us to go spread His word reverberated in my soul then and when Matt and I talked about it after service. And Matt so easily related the call of ministering to the far ends of the world to the call for adopting.
Just because you don't feel God's call for you to adopt or support adoption, that doesn't mean anything. Scripture after scripture is already written instructing you to care for the orphans.
"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
"This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the stranger, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." Jeremiah 22:3
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
I love that I know scripture to defend my point of view. I love that Matt and I have already taken that step in faith to follow God's will and stand up for orphans. And we are getting much more out of our journey than our child will get from coming home to us. The Lord is strengthening us and stretching us, He becomes our stronghold in times of doubt or trouble and is our beacon of light throughout it all.
Adoption has caused us to draw nearer and nearer to God; relying on Him more and the world less. It's hard as the Lord convicts us of me of my earthly ways and reveals to us His plan for our life.
So, God has called demanded we heed his word and care for the orphans. And one of the many ways to do that is to adopt. And when I think of this I always think of the quote that God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called. For us, with our adoptions it has meant financial equipping.
It's an understatement when people say adoption is expensive. And I'd be lying if I didn't say that issues that deal with money (or lack there of) stress me out. But God didn't tell us to wait to adopt until we were financially well off, he told us to adopt and we listened.
And He has equipped us. The generosity of others is astounding; from money slipped into the palms of our hands or in a card from a near stranger to the overwhelming generosity and love we've received from our family and friends - God has provided.
God has also provided us with awesome opportunities to not only help ourselves but to help ourselves and others. Our ongoing fundraiser with Just Love Coffee and our past collaboration with 147 Million Orphans were two great examples of this.
Today we are excited, honored and grateful for the opprotunity to partner with Ordinary Hero to raise money for our adoption by selling their apparel. They have items for men, women, youth and even babies!
You want to know how it works? Well all that you have to do is click here or over on the Ordinary Hero badge on our sidebar. This will take you directly to our family's fundraising link. Shop their merchandise and then become a hero to us and orphans everywhere. We receive 40% of each purchase so not only are you blessing us you are also blessing the many different facets Ordinary Hero supports.
But unlike our Just Love Coffee fundraiser we won't see who bought what, so please let us know what you buy so that we are able to thank you.
We are so grateful for all of your love and support! And even if you Ordinary Hero gear isn't your style, please feel free to spread the word of our fundraiser!
And to learn more about Ordinary Hero click here
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