Do Something Radical (Part 1)

I've learned to never say what I won't do. I told Joey before we got married that if he wanted someone who was going to homeschool his kids, that person was NOT me. It's funny how when we finally give in to doing what the Lord wants us to do, he can make it so that we want to do the thing he's called us to more than we ever thought possible. After all, it wouldn't be obedience if we were just doing what we wanted to do. It was that way with homeschooling, and it's become that way with this crazy adventure called international adoption. It wasn't that adopting hasn't always been in the back of my mind. It has been. But, way, way back. Before we got married, we discussed adoption as something we would do "someday", and I was totally comfortable with that. We looked into it while Joey was in Korea when we were engaged and he often visited a local orphanage. I'll have to admit, I was secretly very relieved when we found out adopting from Korea was not an option at that time. It came up a few other times in our marriage, but I always had a reason why it was just not a good time. Joey read "Adopted for Life" a couple years ago and I know he was hoping I would read it, but I didn't even want to hear about it, much less read the book and risk being convicted about it.

Upon Joey's return from Afghanistan, it became clear that my complacency in my Christian walk was no longer going to be an option. Joey and I each read three books that brought to life what we already knew to be true from the Bible. Those three books, which I highly recommend for every Christian to read were "Stop Dating the Church", "Crazy Love" and "Radical"- followed by me finally reading "Adopted for Life". What a much needed jolt to my spirit! God called me to so much more than my comfortable life here and now. I do not want to stand before Him someday ashamed that I lived for me and my own desires. I want to live for Him and His glory and share in His eternal and global perspective. "Crazy Love" had been given to me by a Christian friend over a year before I actually read it. Again, I really did not want to read this book, because I knew it would require something of me and I was already resisting the Lord's voice in my life to "come, follow me"..."sell everything you have and give it to the poor and come, follow me". I was like the rich young ruler walking away from Jesus sad because I had so much, and I didn't want to give it all up for him for far too long. I love the way God works, though. He doesn't let us stay this way when we are His.

We were selected to go to a family retreat at Sandy Cove in Northeast MD this summer free for military after a deployment. We almost didn't go because we thought we were going to be moving. I sent an e-mail to Sandy Cove to cancel our reservation or at least switch us to come a different weekend than "home school week" because it was going to conflict with our move. But, alas, our orders were changed and we weren't moving and somehow that e-mail never made it to Sandy Cove. Instead what I got from them was a confirmation e-mail for our reservation for homeschool week. So, we went. And, what was the speaker talking about all week long? Living a "Radical" life for Christ. Being willing to sell or give up everything to come and follow him. Wow. The same exact thing we had been reading about and that the Lord was constantly pricking my heart with- my resistance to doing what he wanted me to do. We heard so many testimonies that week of families who had adopted. They set out to be a blessing to others and in the end they were the ones blessed. The Lord worked on my heart there and asked me if I really believed all children were a blessing, or just my own (the ones I could have biologically)? One of the mornings Joey and I actually put into words what we were both knowing we were supposed to do. It was time for us to start the process to adopt. I was still scared, but I knew that saying no to God was not an option anymore.

As soon as I submitted to God and gave up the fight, He filled me with a desire and a passion and now I want to adopt. It truly is amazing how quickly this happened- it was almost instantaneous. I went from saying no way, I can't do that and I could have told you a million reasons why it was a crazy idea (and I can still do that in my weak moments of doubt and worry!) to having a heart realizing God's love for precious children around the world who need a family to love them. Yes, it is a crazy idea. It is Radical. But, everything God has called me to do so far in my life, He has equipped me for and walked me through every step of the way, and even given me the desires of my heart that I didn't know I had.

"Psalm 127: 3-5" Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord...Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!"