Older Child Adoption

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” - James 1:27

In the U.S. alone there are thousands of Children living in foster homes and group homes that now qualify for adoption. I will be the first to tell you, that they do arrive with emotional issues, separation anxiety, learning disabilities and some physical disabilities. These children have been neglected, physically abused, emotionally abused and even sexually abused, most by the very people that brought them into the world. Allowing these children to grow to adulthood as wards of the state, without a forever family is troubling. Here lately in the news we’ve heard a couple big cases where some of these children were even being abused in there foster homes, this is due to the lack of availability of proper homes for these children. We as Christians have a responsibility to lend a helping hand, either as foster parents or adoptive parents.

Nikki and I looked to the guest room that spent most of it’s time unused and made a decision that, not only was it time for us to have a child, but it was time for us to answer God’s calling to, “look after orphans” as James wrote in his epistle. We started the adoption process approximately nine months ago and we are only a few weeks away from our son, J coming to live with us on a permanent basis! It’s very exciting, and the transition period is going much smoother and taking less time then his therapist and social worker thought. There is a true anointing from God on this adoption which has been an amazing and exciting experience! I had originally had doubts, doubts about myself; would I be able to love an adopted child as my own? Will I be able to handle a child with emotional/anger issues? Will I make a good dad? The answer to all three of these questions is, “yes.” All I had to do is place all of these doubts at the feet of Jesus, and how he has blessed us. J volunteered (all on his own) to pray at dinner time last Monday night. He has changed from a little boy trying to act tuff into a little boy.

These Children need our help, even if it’s one child at a time. Are you willing to open a place in your home? Are you willing to open a place in your heart? Please, be a part of the healing process for these children. Help turn their wounds into beauty marks.

Rodney

Reasons

This first entry is very special to me, it's the reason why I decided to start this Blog and it’s something that is very near and dear to my heart. It’s about misunderstanding, and it’s about reason…our reason, the Christian reason for spreading the Gospel, the reason for spreading the Good News. And I cannot forget, it’s the reason behind telling the lost the truth about Heaven and the truth about Hell; the truth about salvation and the truth about condemnation.

The Canoe Trip

Two men decide to go down river in a canoe for a fishing trip. Nether of the men knew anything about the river they were about to embark on, but they figured, “What could go wrong?” they were just going on a fishing drift. As they were floating down the river they were catching a multitude of catfish, and were having the time of their lives, not recognizing that the water was moving faster. An experienced river guide spots these men from shore and decides to…

Now, let’s say you’re that experienced river guide on shore, and you know that there’s a 75 foot waterfall approximately 500 yards down river, what do you do?

a) Yell out and warn the men to come to shore, that there’s a vicious waterfall ahead.
b) Just pray for them, that somehow God will miraculously lead them safely ashore.
c) Do nothing; I wouldn’t want to stop there fun.
d) Do nothing; they’re not hurting anyone but themselves.
e) Do nothing; they may not like me anymore if I interfere with they’re lives.
f) Do nothing; if they were stupid enough to go on the river with no experience, they deserve what they get.

Now ask yourself, which of those answers shows the most love for the men in the canoe? The sad thing is, we “Do nothing” everyday with our friends and family that are headed down a river toward Hell, simply because we don’t want to offend them, they’re not hurting anyone but themselves, or we wouldn’t want to stop their fun. Sometimes we just opt to just pray for them and other then that still do nothing.

I personally would rather offend someone telling them about Jesus, because I love them, then their blood being on my hands because I decided to do nothing.

True followers of Christ love lost people enough, to take action and tell them about Christ Jesus. We love them enough to tell them the truth about Heaven and Hell; we love them enough to tell them about Salvation and Condemnation; we love them enough to tell them we love them.

Rodney

Biblical References For This Post:

1. Matthew 5:43-48
2. Matthew 10:14-16
3. Matthew 28:18-20
4. Mark 16:15-16
5. Acts 20:25-27