Saturday, July 17, 2010

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"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you" Isiah 54:17a).

I had a friend once tell me that you will know you are fully living a Christ centered life when people begin to question your sanity. It made me laugh at the time and then once I thought about it, I realized how true that really is.

Basically we all have the same choice- to live a self centered life or to live a Christ centered life. There are no other choices.

When you choose the Christ centered life- you will find the world begins to lose its appeal. Because it is now Jesus, and what He wants, that becomes important in your life.

And this, will look a lot different than the self centered life.

So those around you will question you- because the choices you make, the lifestyle you live will not longer 'match up' with what the world says is good and with what the world says is popular.

And it will make people wonder.

And for some, it will even make them mad.

Today we live in a world that tells us that the ideal family size is 2.5 children. (Can someone explain to me how you even have a half a kid?) So, when you see a family walk in the door with 9 children, all from different races and ethnic groups- they begin to question. And for some, they feel justified to insult.

Large adoptive families often get labeled. I have heard them called everything from 'child collectors' to being accused to being 'addicted' to adopting. I have been told that we can't save the world and asked when enough is enough.

All I can say is, if I was into collecting- I can guarantee you it would be one of those kind of nice collections you simply display on a shelf and look at. It would require little work, perhaps just an occasional dusting. It would be a something rare- not 147 million of them waiting to be found.

As for adoption being an addiction- I will say one thing I know for sure- I can think of lots of things that would be a lot worse to be addicted too. Things that don't bring God glory.

While yes it is true, I cannot save the entire world- that doesn't mean I shouldn't do what I can do. Imagine yourself inside of a burning building, lying on the floor, trapped, unable to help yourself. Someone dials 911- but the firefighters on call responded by saying 'Oh well, we can't save them all' and don't come to your rescue. There are 147 million orphans in this world trapped and unable to help themselves. How are you going to respond to the call?

In response to when is enough, enough? As I have said in the past, I refuse to say we are done ever again. Simply because I do not believe that being ‘done’ is my choice to make. I guess I just feel sort of silly announcing to God that we are ‘done’ serving him in any way that He asks. If the Lord ask us to open our home to a child in need once again- then I would never ignore Him. For us- 'enough' would be when there is no longer a child in need. What that will mean for our lives I have no idea. But I am not about to start limiting God with what He can and cannot do with my life.

But you know what, none of this matters anyway. I am not living my life to win any popularity contests. I am not living my life for approval from others. I am living my life for the ONE. The one who created me as well as each and every one of my children in His own image. The ONE who celebrates big families by saying:


Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3
**Come with my to T4A and hear how others are responding to the call.http://www.togetherforadoption.org/



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30 comments:

Unknown said...

Love everything about this post!

That photo is amazing - you got them all looking and HAPPY! Amazing! You win :-) I still can't seem to do that too often :-)

Love you sweet friend!
Jill
Who is totally OK being different with you!!!!!

Intentional Living Homestead said...

AAAMMMEEENNN!!!!!!

Incredible, wonderful, brilliant and right on the mark post.

Blessings!!

Holly said...

Love you and your beautiful treasures...from all over the world!

Crissy Sorenson said...

Wow. Ya'll are such an inspiration to me. I just found your blog about 2 weeks ago, and weep reading so many of your posts. We have 3 kids (7, 5, and 2) and are DTE 5/7/10 for our Ethiopian adoption (our 1st adoption!) We have been feeling called lately to obey God radically and 1 of the 2 paths we are praying about is to continue to adopt many more times- and my heart has been feeling tugged in that direction by reading your blog and gazing at your precious family picture! Absolutely beautiful.
Also- found it exciting about you homeschooling. I homeschool also, and LOVE it!
Crissy Sorenson

Chris said...

oh Amy! How is it that you always take words right out of my head! :) I love how you put things in writing.......my heart is right there with ya!!!

Chris in WA state

darci said...

Haven't even met you and I love you, girl! wow, what a post. What a great pic of your beautiful rewards! :) darci

Angie said...

Wow...our posts kind of match up today...but yours is more eloquent! :) As for me, I am happy to say that I am officially addicted to adoption...God's calling in my life. As I said in my post this AM, I can't wait until the day when there are no more orphans. Thanks for sharing your heart.

trustandobey said...

Well said, Amy! I agree with you! I like to think that those of us that say YES to adoption are let in on an amazing little secret of God's. It is such a wonderful secret that once we are privy to it, we cannot imagine not having God let us in on another one. These perfect insights are hand delivered to us through these lost little ones that we invite to share our lives and our love and our Lord. That is just how God works. And , yes, it is addicting in the most marvelous way...

Tracy said...

Love this post!

Rebekah said...

Wow, Amy! AMEN!!! I feel like you just spoke our hearts.

noneya said...

AMEN!!! A life submitted to the Lord will be one that looks very different than the average Joe. May the Lord continue to provide, strengthen and encourage you to run YOUR race marked out before you with perserverance so that you may get your prize.
Trina

Michelle said...

Thanks again for another great post! We have had many people question our sanity, even for having the number of biological children we have (which isn't that many...4) and then people hear that we want to adopt Ds children from Eastern Europe. Oh, how many times, I've been told that I shouldn't make my life more difficult. But for my husband and I, making our life easy isn't what God called us to do. He has given us a deep desire to help children, and in my opinion, that only makes our lives better.

No Greater Gift Mom said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to shout this from the rooftops and not being afraid! You are such an inspiration to my family! Praying you have a blessed Sunday with your sweeties!
In Him,
E

Stacy said...

This made me think of a quote by Helen Keller ...."I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse the something I can do." I love this!

Amy Clemons said...

You are blessed beyond measure....your children are blessed and the Lord is glorified. In essence that is all that really matters. :0)

Janet said...

Awesome post. You truly have a gift of putting things into words. I's love to "preach" some of your topics on my blog....but I just can't get them from my brain to the blog=).

Jodi Widhalm said...

LOVE IT!!! Just what I needed today. I'm linking you for my post today - hope you don't mind.

Debbie said...

Great post! I just love reading your blog and looking at all the great photos.

emily said...

Really love this post. I think I actually told Him that I was done after 4 bios, but how thankful I am that His plans are far greater than mine will ever be~

Debbie Doughty said...

Keep doing what you are doing ~ following God's will for your family. His opinion is the only one that matters and he's the only one you need to answer to :)

Stacy said...

I just saved this as "one of my most favorite blog posts of all time" posts. Thank you. We begin with our first (or maybe first and second) child adopted from foster care later this year (God willing). We are ready to answer His call and cannot wait to meet our children. In the meantime, I am so so so blessed by your posts. They encourage me more than I can say. Thank you.

"Are These Kids All Yours?" said...

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meliski said...

Phrases like this...

"It would be a something rare- not 147 million of them waiting to be found.

As for adoption being an addiction- I will say one thing I know for sure- I can think of lots of things that would be a lot worse to be addicted too. Things that don't bring God glory."

Are what make you a great writer and keeps me coming back time and time again.

Thank you for your honest and thoughtful words! They encourage many of us out there who are in/are working to be in the same Christ-centered boat!

:)Melissa

http://thelemanskis.blogspot.com

HollyAnn said...

Can soooo relate to this post! And need to read more blogs like yours so that those skeptics don't start sounding like the "right" ones as often as they have lately! Isolation is the enemy's number one tactic in my life!

Can't wait to "meet" you at T4A!!!

Engendo said...

truth

Angel said...

AMEN AND AMEN!! I love every post sweet friend.

Christi Crow said...

Great post Amy!!!

BJ_Mama said...

What a Beautiful..AND TRUE POST!
Thank YOU for saving your piece of the world. Your family is Absolutely Gorgeous!

Jennifer P said...

We've been asked often, "Are you done?" I loved what you said. We can never be done serving God and those in need. Different is hard AND good.
Keeping the faith right along with you.

Melissa said...

AMEN!!! I just found your blog and love it. I look forward to reading more. We are adopting as well www.delightinweaknesses.blogspot.com . I am still loving the saying. "We can never be done doing God's work." Gives me chills. Love it! Many blessings to you and your precious children!