The following blog post if from my friend Karen Beaty. She is a mom of 10. One of these children is adopted, four more are foster children whom they intend to adopt. They have been such an encouragement and blessing to Tony and myself as we walk along this journey. I'm glad to have great friends like the Beaty's who "get it" to come along beside us! Thank you Karen for letting me share.
Once in a GREAT while
- I wonder -
What if....
What if we hadn't decided to foster?
What if we hadn't adopted?
Our youngest would be in 7th grade - we'd be 'home free' from babysitters and diapers and temper tantrums. We'd be thinking about high school & college graduations and weddings - and...wow, in a few years - GRANDKIDS.
Maybe not free from the tantrums..
Instead - I'm thinking about teeth cutting for the first time and potty training and registering kids in pre-school and teaching A,B,C's and I'm the crazy one who, as I walk through the store, you hear me saying "I Spy something yellow that monkeys like to eat".
The big argument Wednesday was that Elmo is RED, and Grover is BLUE. Elmo is not blue.
Yesterday, our two year old decided to take the (pretend) shotgun and shoot the dog. She didn't die - so in addition to shooting with the shotgun, he shot with his other hand as well. Then, he went to shoot Daddy!
Life is so fun with little ones around. What if I didn't get to enjoy that?
Matthew West sings a song called "Motions". I listened to it this morning - and God has been speaking.
I don't want to spend my whole life asking - What if I had given everything? Instead of going through the motions....
WOW! That is so convicting. What if...we don't adopt these 4 little boys? What if we hadn't adopted Elizabeth. What if we let 'the system' have them? What if I don't give EVERYTHING (including my 'freedom' from kids) to God?
Andrew and I are so COMPELLED to care for these boys - We know it will be hard. They are not free from the baggage that comes with orphans. There will be struggles. Somedays I will question my sanity. But God has placed 'an all consuming passion' inside of us to care for the fatherless. You just can't argue with PASSION that is God based.
I wonder.... What if.....
What if they finish high school and graduate?
What if they decided to wait till marriage to have sex?
What if they decide to get a job and serve as an usher at church? or teach Sunday School? or sing on the worship team?
What if they fall in love with JESUS?
What if God gets ahold of their heart?
What if they teach their children to love Jesus?
What if they pray for their grandchildren?
What if they gave EVERYTHING to Jesus?
What if ... we really GAVE everything?
(listen to this song:)
This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life
'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
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