not just a fad

This week alone I have talked with 4 families who are begining their adoption journeys.  One is in my family.  I will get to have a new neice or nephew!  Another family is one of my dearest friends.  I can't wait to walk through this life step with them.

I spend a lot of time praying for orphans and children in our world.  But today I am overwhelmed with the honor of praying for 4 little children that I will someday soon get to meet and know and love.  I pray that God protects them wherever they are today.  I pray that they feel love.  I pray that they know that their family is coming to them. 

I have had people ask if we adopted because it is so popular.  Or if we are trying to be like Brangelina.  Nope, don't want their life BUT sure do commend them for all they do for orphans even though they are not the reason we adopted.  I have also heard people say that they aren't going to adopt internationally because it is just a modern fad.  "Everyone is into Africa right now."  These statements make me so angry that I could scream (JUST DID!), but instead of ripping into everyone that has thought those things or even said them I want to explain why that is silly and sad.

• Would you become an athesist because there are too many Christians in the midwest?
• Would you stay single just because a lot of other people get married and you don't want to be accused of following the crowd?
• Would you not have a family because there are too many loving families out there?
• Would you keep your teenager from committing their life to Jesus along with a friend at youth camp because you think it might just be part of a popularity contest?
• Would you keep a child's life from being changed because you think too many people are adopting right now in our community?  (By the way THE CHURCH is barely making a dent in the 147 million oprhans in the world so I think we can keep going with adoptions and following God for a little while longer at least.)
• Would you discourage someone from obeying God and following Him with their life FOR ANY REASON?

Are you kidding me?  These are just the logical statements that make the statement "adoption is just a fad "so illogical. 

Caring for orphans is a biblical mandate and if it becomes a fad---GREAT.  There aren't very many mandates that are as clear as that one.  We don't get to just avoid it, read over it, or say it is for someone else.  All of the Bible is for all of us that are believers.  How you care for orphans is for you and God to figure out together as He leads you!  There are many ways besides adoption. 

But please don't let the fact that adoption is too cool for you be the reason you don't change a child's life.  And the next time someone shares that their family is beginning the adoption journey, be supportive and loving and keep your crazy opinions to yourself.  Or better yet investigate why you have such crazy opinions in the first place and let God change your heart.

Well guess I ripped a little, sorry about that.