The Onion

I originally intended to write this post a few months ago here but life got in the way, so here it is finally.

Five years ago, we started the process of adopting HJ. Little did I know at that time, what God had in store for us. During the process, I was blissfully unaware of how the majority of the world lives. When we finally made our trip, I had the first layer of the onion peeled back - and I cried. You see, this is the first time I saw how the majority of the people in our world live.

We didn't get to go to HJ's orphanage, but as I stayed active in the adoption community after bringing her home, I began to understand even more about how kids in orphanages live. God was peeling back the onion some more - and I cried more.

Then I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with our church to Ukraine. The primary purpose of our trip was to build 103 beds for an orphanage that is home to kids between the ages of 6 and 16. I had no real idea what God had in store for me, but I knew I was supposed to go help the kids. When we got there, this is what we found...

God peeled another layer of the onion - and I cried even more. God's children deserve BETTER than this. How can I NOT do something to help them.

During the course of these events, I felt that God was calling me to start an orphan/adoption/foster care ministry at my church. After much prayer, planning and preparation, we were able to launch the ministry and have since seen seven children find their forever families.

While God had been working on my heart through the children, my heart was still hard to those in the US who are poor and homeless. It was my opinion that most of these people were in this situation by choice. You see, this is the land of opportunity. I could understand how the kids needed my help - they were in their situation through no fault of their own. But the adults? They were CHOOSING to be there.

Then I ran across this sermon series Radical - What the Gospel Demands and was stunned. This is a perspective on Christianity that I don't think I have ever heard. God peeled another layer of onion - and I cried again.

I then found this book The Hole in Our Gospel and was convicted even more - another layer of onion.

God has shown me that we, as Christians, are responsible for taking care of our fellow man - ADULTS and children. Yes, people make poor decisions - but that doesn't absolve me of my responsibility to OBEY God's commands to take care of the poor, the widows and the orphans.

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

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:10

Those that make choices that aren't pleasing to God will have to answer to him for their choices. But, I will have to answer to God if I make a choice to disobey his command to care for the poor, the widow and the orphan.

In order to be obedient to God's call to use the resources he has given us responsibly, we have started sponsoring children with Compassion International. In order to be obedient to care for the poor, we are participating in microfinance with World Vision.

We are also trying to pass these teachings to our children by engaging them in service to others. We have taken the boys to help pack meals for the people in Haiti with Change This World and the whole family serves locally at a church that provides meals for anyone on Sunday afternoons.

I tell you these things, not to brag or boast about what we are doing, but rather to CHALLENGE you to see what God is calling you to do. If you find that God is calling you to do something MORE with your Christianity, how about share it with others? You can post a link to a specific blog post about it below. I'll try and see if I can make this a regular feature of my blog so we can all share with each other ways to impact our world for God.