Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Sunday morning was rough, but so worth the struggle! Please read this post!

Our group took a tour of Guangzhou City on Sunday morning. I will save the trip and photos for another post, but I believe the Lord has laid something on my heart that I need to share with anyone reading.

By our third stop, Mia had taken about all she could. She became your typical toddler while trying to do some shopping. We can tell she hasn't been around very many males, if any, because I am about the only one she wants to hold her. Well you mothers can relate...we need a break every once in awhile! She was screaming, kicking her feet, throwing her arms. Phillip has been wonderful with her and trying to slowly bond with her as she lets him. We are beginning to firmly grab her hands when she does this and tell her no and we feel she is responding to that and understanding what no means. All I wanted to do was go back to the room. When you are "touring" with a group, that is not possible! We had to wait on everyone to finish shopping. Mia, and myself, finally calmed down.
I got her in the room and started trying to get her down for a nap, which was way past due! She started screaming at the top of her lungs again. I simply stood up with her, held her as close as I could and bounced her up and down. Once she finally gave it up, I sat in the chair with her for a moment and reflected on what had just happened. It was like the Lord spoke straight to my heart!

This whole journey simply started with making the decision to adopt a little girl from China. Then God started to show us the correlation between adopting a child and His adopting us into His family. Adoption is the PERFECT picture of salvation! We were lost, homeless, dirty, alone, unsure of our future/eternity. He stepped in and welcomed us into His family...taking with it all the negatives and baggage we would bring in! But because of His grace, mercy, love and compassion, He allowed His Son, Jesus to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He wants to be our Father! As God revealed this to us, we knew adoption was the right thing for our family. We could love a child, give her hope and a future, and most important, show her the love of Jesus!

As I continued to sit there and hold Mia after her screaming fiasco, I learned the next correlation in adoption. How many times, once we have come to the Father, do we throw our own little tantrums? We rebel against things that we know the Lord has and wants for us. We kick, scream, throw our heads back thinking that will get us what we want. What does God do? He sits there, frustrated I'm sure (just as I was with Mia), and holds us until we are done. He doesn't leave us but instead is patient. We are like little children in need of a loving Father who promises to love us unconditionally!

Don't you see? God loves the orphans all over this world. He has mentioned them in Scripture over 60 times! If salvation is the most important message in the Bible, then don't you think He desires the same for these homeless children? We have said time and time again that adoption is not for everyone. We were called by God to adopt Mia and are so thankful for the opportunity. Our job isn't over though once we get home. We have to continue to do work to care for these children. In China, if kids aren't adopted by age 14 they age out of the system and put to the streets! What do you think they will do to survive? My guess is a lot will do whatever they can (drugs, prostitution). We have been amazed at the stories we have heard from different families while in China. One lady traveled here to get 3 deaf children. Her plans were to only get 2 until she was made aware of a 13 year old boy who only had a few months left before he aged out! She too him into her family...she saved him from a life of misery!

Please ask God what He wants you to do help the helpless!

2 comments:

  1. You know that we also feel called to help the helpless, hopefully by means of adoption. So please pray that God will show us how He wants to use our family in His great plan of salvation!

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  2. You know how adoption has touched our lives.......me being adopted, and now Emma Grace. We don't feel done either. Simply continuing to pray how God wants to continue to use us as either new parents again to another child, a mouth piece/tool/vessel for the orphans, etc. Whatever He wants.

    Great lesson and reminder to all of us. Thank you for sharing!

    I'm a firm believer now that we've traveled overseas for mission work as well as to adopt..........it is US that has been transformed by these experiences.

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