I never knew this existed until last year.
This Sunday, November 6th, hundreds of churches will join together to proclaim their hope in the gospel and to advocate the ministries of adoption and orphan care among the nations.
If you know me well, you know this orphan thing has always been part of my life, my heart. It was one of the first things I told Jamie when we began dating. I didn't grow up with this as an integral part of my family or life, but it was something always deep inside me.
If you're a close friend, there's a chance you're tired of Jamie and me. We've started hearing that this has taken over our lives, defined us, become the essence of who we are.
Maybe.
As I've said here many times, it would be so easy to sit in a church pew this Sunday and hear the shoulds, the coulds, the woulds because we are commanded to care for the orphan, the widow, the stranger.
But the truth is, when I look around, and see those I love choosing comfort, ease, predictability...My heart doesn't judge or guilt, it grieves.
Granted, we are all ministering in hundreds of ways, and we are all called to so many passions of our Father, but there are those of us who are choosing to stay safe and play it cool. I know because there was one day I wanted that more than anything.
But now, I've tasted. I've tasted what it is to fully delight myself - as much as I can know on this earth - in my Savior. I've tasted what it is to come utterly to the end of myself - hourly, and watch my Jesus appear.
I've tasted the brokenness of shattered dreams, waded through the muck with families, wept over the helplessness. I've tasted and seen those who really have never heard, or dreamed of the reality that they were made for more than this.
And I - the Lumpkin gang - have been there. To see firsthand our Father meet us, meet others over and over and over. There's so many moments where we almost missed the beauty, the ashes. And in a moment, He caught us to say Watch My hand move.
Speechless.
So when I sit in the pew on Orphan Sunday or as I listen to any other ministry being presented, I grieve as so many of us leave to the tune, "That's so amazing for you, because I could never..."
The Lumpkins aren't special. We're not superheroes, as much as we dress the part. The secret is none of us on this wild journey are. We just allow our Father to dream, to actualize the What If's through us....
And our world has exploded.
Now, I can't taste enough. I want more. I want Him. I want to see my Savior save, my Redeemer redeem, my Restorer restore.
So for today, I'm grateful for ...
Just tasting Him.
I hope you don't mind, but I quoted some of this on my blog. Love you!
ReplyDeleteI believe when you find your calling in life, that it will define you. It will take over your life, and you will be fine with that. I saw this completely with my dad. I went on a medical missions trip right before college to Honduras. When I came back I really wanted my dad, whose a doctor, to go, because I knew he could make a difference. He had never been on any kind of missions trip before. When he came back, he said that at the age of 45 he had found his life's calling. He's 62 now. He has taken groups and gone to Honduras twice a year now for the past 17 years. When he's not there he's thinking about it, gathering medicine, sending money, talking about it, etc... Many people have said how it consumes him and all he wants to talk about. Family has said they are tired of always talking about Honduras.
ReplyDeleteBut I think it's so wonderful to have the utter contentment in your heart to know that you are being used by God in the exact way he designed for you.