Last week, I met some of the most beautiful people… Lisa and I flew to Nashville to film a television show that raised awareness for the 140 million orphans in the world (www.cryoftheorphan.org). There we met couples that had adopted several kids out of difficult situations. Some of the children had special needs, and some had medical issues that meant they probably did not have long to live. Their desire was to show these children as much love as possible during their time on earth. It was an amazing picture of the love of Christ. We were inspired.
During dinner, we were speaking to Emily Chapman. She was telling us about their orphanage in China. Lisa and I told her that we were going to be in China soon and would love to visit. We also expressed our desire to adopt any child that was in need. She proceeded to tell us about a beautiful little boy that she thought would fit perfectly into our family. We got pretty excited. Then she explained that the boy had a spinal injury, so his legs did not work…
After dinner, I asked Lisa, “Did you feel what I felt? Were you excited until she mentioned that he couldn’t walk?” We had a long talk that night, examining our lives. We saw that God was revealing to us our self-centeredness. God did not adopt us because we were perfect. He loved us because He is love. He rescued us because He saw our need. Having His Son die was not the convenient thing to do. It was painful, sacrificial, and an amazing display of love.
So we are starting the process of adoption. We don’t know how long it will take or everything it involves. If the Lord wills, it will work out for us to take in this little boy. We know it will mean a huge adjustment to our lifestyle, but we also believe that he will be a major blessing in our lives. While there is so much unknown, we are at peace.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27
