another pair of shoes
  • Blog
  • Bits and Pieces
  • Journey Timeline
  • How to Help
    • Prayer Requested
  • Contact Us
  • Fundraisers

a book and a want

2/1/2012

 
I’ve been walking around in a fog for the last few weeks:  my perspective greatly impacted by the book Kisses from Katie. I have wanted to tell everyone that has come into my house, everyone I’ve talked to on the phone, shared an email with, seen at church, the lady in the checkout line.  But in my fog the only words I can think to string together into a coherent sentence sound a little ridiculous even to me “Do you know that there are millions of poor, starving, dying, hurting people in our world?!” 

Of course you do, and so do I.  We’ve seen them on our TV’s, on our computer screens, at our schools, under our bridges, and even down the street from us.  We’ve served them on trips or places we volunteer; we talk about helping them in our churches.  I could share a lot of statistics with you.   But maybe you’re like me.   I’ve heard all the statistics, and my heart hurts, and my hands feel compelled to act -- until a few minutes later I go to Target and find something cool on clearance.  And I forget.  But I don’t want to forget anymore.

I want to keep living in this uncomfortable place that I’ve been for the last few weeks of crying for starving, dying people I don’t know.  I want to keep wrestling over what things I should buy and which things I shouldn’t because I don’t want to live in excess while millions of people live in need.  I want to keep praying with my family about how we should simplify our lives so that we can give more sacrificially, more generously, and I want us to do it.  I want to keep feeling this keen awareness as I sit down to eat that there are people in my own town wondering if they will be able to feed their children tomorrow.  I want to remember as I go to the pharmacy to pick up our prescriptions that there are people in Africa who lie dying in hospitals because they can’t pay for medical care. I want to ache as I tuck my kids in at night because there were thousands of children who were sold into slavery today.  I want to remember as I lay down in my bed (that has more pillows than the number of people that are in my family) that there are people sleeping on park benches and in cardboard boxes and entire families living in one room huts.   And as our little ones tackle Ben and me as we share a hug, I want to remember that there are lonely people in need of someone to wrap their arms around.

And my Father’s plan is to set the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). And as we move forward on our road to give an orphan a family tree, I want to trust in His plan and provision and power.  I want to find peace and hope in that as we do this tiny little thing in the scheme of the world’s overwhelming orphan crisis, that we are doing a big thing in the world of one orphan.  I want to wake up each day on this road and take small steps with shaking feet and trembling hands and embrace this new level of trust that He is calling us to. 

And while we wait, I want to stay on my knees and be willing to stay there and get dirty as I serve.  I want us to keep asking Him about what we can do, how we can give, who we can love TODAY.  And Jesus, help me to remember that You spent most of Your time on earth with the least of these.  So today, let me draw near to Your people and all the while draw near to You.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    We are a family of four (Ben, Beth, Tuck, and Libby) on a journey to become a family of 5 through adoption.

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Categories

    All
    Birthday
    Community
    For When...
    Fundraising
    Giving Thanks To Our Lord
    Giving Thanks To Our Lord
    News!
    Nothing To Do With Adoption
    To Our Little One
    Trust
    Waiting
    Why Adopt

    RSS Feed

Powered by
✕