Wednesday, November 11, 2009

"Why Again?"

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I've considered often how to answer that question? "Why are you adopting again!?
"It's my mission field" just doesn't really capture my complete heart.
"Because a little one is in need of a family and love..." leads to the inevitable response that we have to stop at some point. (My response...NOT YET!)
"We believe children are a blessing." True, however - lacking, but lacking what?
I was reading a book by A.B Simpson (an American Evangelist at the close of the 19th century) called Christ in the Tabernacle (great book by the way!). In speaking of the candelabra that was made for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-40) he says "This light revealed the other objects in the Holy Place. It revealed to the priests the table covered with the showbread. The best thing about the light was that it revealed not itself but the bread."
Later Simpson writes "The candlestick did not have inherent light. It was only the bearer of the light; it only held the light, but the oil gave the light. And so you and I are not the light. Jesus Christ is our light, and we simply receive and give out Him."
Matthew 5:16 says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to you Father who is in heaven."
So, my mind wonders back to "Why again are we adopting?"
It isn't easy. There has been pain and loss. Adopting is always a step of faith for both finances and the energy to mother my family well. There are broken things that need fixed, and days where I run out. There is a lot of work to do...but isn't that the point? "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." I have GOOD work to do. It's not about seeing my good works to see ME though. I want others to see Jesus - the Bread of Life and glorify the LORD.
And, I guess the way I see it, Jesus had an orphan ministry of the largest kind. "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Gal. 4:4-5 (also Rom. 8:16-17). Jesus removed the "situation" that made me an orphan and brought me to my Heavenly Father and his own family.
"...remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Eph. 2:12-13
These children are certainly without hope. They belong to no one... they are alone.
As we bring home one more child, we are bringing them near to the LORD and teaching them His love for them. No more are they without hope, they belonging to Him.

So why are we adopting again? I have good work to do; work that God has prepared for me to do; a perfect ministry for me.
And my prayer is that others will give glory to my Father who is in heaven.
Why again? The LORD loves me, the LORD loves you, the LORD loves them; and He has quite an adventure for us all. So let's go do some good work and rejoice.

24 comments:

  1. we plan to adopt one day as well. we will be missionaries in Africa and our home is open to bringing children in. God Bless for continuing on in your calling to adopt and bless children for the sake of His Name!

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  2. Thank you for posting this. We have four bio children and are in the adoption process. People ask me all the time why and it is hard for me to come up with an answer that doens't sound poius or like I'm trying to make them feel guilty because they aren't adopting.

    I love children, love mothering, and want to teach them about our Heavenly Father. Why not adopt?

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  3. AMEN!

    You know where my heart is on this :)

    Love and blessings!

    Jill

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  4. Beautiful post! Thank you for letting HIS light shine in and through you.

    Blessings,
    Sarah

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  5. This is beautifully written Shonni.I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today, and I only have 6 kiddos.My daughter, from Guatemala, is in the process of being evaluated for some delays, and after I came home from a 2 hour doctor appointment I found some things broken in the basement and a cookie with mold on it under the stair well.Argh!! I was not a happy mama today. Your post reminded me that I too have good work to do. Sometimes it seems like a lot of work but praise the Lord that He equips me and enables me to accomplish my tasks not for me but for Him. For the glory of His kingdom.
    Thank you!

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  6. men adn well said!!! I've had to answer that question a few times!!!

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  7. Great post! You are doing His work!

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  8. Just one look at your family-or your beautiful header and I'd wonder why in the world they were asking?

    With 143-147 million orphans -my question would be to other Believers...."Hey,why aren't you?" James 1:27 is an actual command. And yes, it may not mean adoption, but what are they doing to care for orphans?

    Getting off my podium, sigh-it just rises up in me.

    bless you as you do the amazing blessed work of adoption my friend.

    Kimmie
    mama to 7
    one homemade and 6 adopted

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  9. Oh my friend--you are doing the Father's work so very well. Your heart is just wonderful, absolutely precious. Yes, this is your ministry, you're right where He needs you to be. So amazing.

    Love you heaps.

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  10. What a beautiful post! I've been posting on adoption this month, as well, and I hope you don't mind I linked to this post from the one I just wrote on "Why Adopt?". What a blessing it was to read your heart on adopting! I share that heart and hope to adopt again in the near future.

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  11. Amen! I love how you have shared your heart here... mine too.

    When someone finds out that we are adopting 3 children AND that they are older AND that we already have seven of our own... we get asked "why" a LOT.

    Next time someone asks me... I'm going to hand them a print out of this post! ;)

    You have a beautiful family! and you DO bring glory to the Lord!

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  12. Beautiful! I have gotten asked, "Why more?" ever since we had the "perfect family": one boy and one girl.

    One close friend, when she heard about baby #6 actually had the audacity to say, "You know, God didn't mean for you to populate the whole world." I was speechless, needless to say. Obviously, she didn't know what God had called us to.

    We want to walk each day, each month, and each year ... asking the Lord, "What now? What do you have for us to do this day ... this month ... this year." When He says, "Bring home another child ... we need to listen."

    Give a big HUG to each of your precious crew for me. Can't wait to see pics of you in Africa with your precious baby!

    Blessings,

    mama of 13

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  13. That's so interesting! I never thought of myself as an orphan before. Thank God for his adoption! =)

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  14. How you are making me want to adopt again and yet I need my husband to be the one to go for it! After all we went through with our adoption in China, he is not ready to step out again just yet! (Well I am not ready just yet, but certainly next year sometime I will be!!!) And your little boy, that sweet face waiting for you, continues to stir my heart towards Ethiopia!!! Oh there is so much I would love to ask you!! Perhaps I will email you one day soon......

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  15. Amen and Amen! Thank you for leading by example.
    Andrea

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  16. Beautifully written Shonni. We get so many questions (not so positive all the time) and we are just on our first adoption of 2 from Ethiopia. We have 2 bio kids and it was a shock to many that we would adopt. Thank you for this post. It's what I have been feeling in my heart, you put it into words. www.bethe7percent.blogspot.com

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  17. Beautiful...we are also talking about the "when" of the next adoption not the "if we will"...people act like we are crazy..we have had a son smear his stool across the bathroom out of anger (7/8 years old) and one that came home with more delays than we anticipated...we have had great days and yucky days and 2 and 3 hour tantrums...So people say why?????? And my short easy answer right now is from the Sarah Groves song "I've seen what I've seen and I can't forget it." The long answer would require opening my open and letting it bleed out on the person asking the question....

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  18. Amen Shonni! Beautifully said! We are servant to our Lord and here to work for him- but at the same time his work creates SO MANY BLESSINGS!

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  19. Thank you sister! What a blessing to have like minded friends in the Kigdom. May we all seek to do the "good works" that the Father prepared in advance for us to "walk in." Love from Mama in Uganda.

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  20. I think it's wonderful that you adopt! These children are lucky to have you. Visiting from Better in Bulk!

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