WILL YOU?

This is a blog post I have not wanted to write.  Because so many other amazing adoptive mamas have written something similar and have done it so much better than I ever could.  Because sometimes it is easier to leave well enough alone.  But today I decided I will not be at peace until I ask for help, until I advocate for all of the orphans who NEED YOU!!!!  I have the privilege to view waiting children, children in the DRC, children in China, children in Eastern Europe.  I have the most amazing blessing of caring for three incredible boys who were once on a waiting child page.  And there are far more "waiting children" than there seem to be willing parents.  And this is a tragedy.  Adoption is hard, adoption is messy.  You have to be knowledgeable to fight the good fight against corruption and to heal the brokenness of these children.  But just because it is hard and just because there is corruption does not mean that it is ok for us to stop fighting for these children.  There are countless number of children in DRC who have lost parents to disease or war who desperately need a family.  There are countless number of children in China who have a minor medical need who desperately need a family.  There are countless number of children in Eastern Europe who WAIT endlessly for a forever family.  We HAVE to fight for these children.  God asks us to fight for these children.  He doesn't say when it is convenient for you, when your children are the perfect ages, when you have your finances completely under control, when you have the big house, when your life is perfectly perfect, then take care of the orphan.  He simply asks us to care for the widow and the orphan in their distress.  And in the same verse he asks us to keep oneself polluted from the world.  I can testify that it is much easier to keep yourself free from worldly things when you are taking care of the orphan and the widow.  Your focus completely changes when you hold that orphan in your arms.  I believe it is true that not all of us are called to adopt.  Matt and I couldn't do this journey without the amazing people who have walked beside us helping us financially, with clothing, making meals and watching our kids.  We all need the supporters who are loving the orphan as they walk beside us on our journey.  So while we are not ALL called to adopt my heart says that NOT ENOUGH of us are answering the call.  There are too many children with solemn faces on those waiting children pages and they need families.  As my boys tell me in their broken English that they were saying Mommy come on, Daddy come on, my heart breaks.  They were waiting in the orphanage for a family, they wanted a family SO badly.  I think more than food, more than toys, more than their own bed, they just wanted a family.  SO WILL YOU, CAN YOU, PLEASE BE A FAMILY FOR A CHILD WHO NEEDS YOU?  I can personally guarantee you that the exhaustion, the challenges, the craziness will be more than worth it.  It is truly the most amazing blessing EVER.