Purpose

The official processes of our adoption have begun. We were pre-approved to adopt from Colombia through Gladney Center for Adoption on Tuesday, September 20th. We had a phone orientation today to give us an overview of what we can expect throughout the adoption process. The manual containing all of our instructions for paperwork is 55 pages, if that's any indication of how much work is ahead of us. Our heads were spinning after our hour and a half conversation.  We talked about our homestudy, documents needed for our dossier, immigration papers, what to do when we receive a referral, what the stay in country will be like, when fees will be due, among MANY other things.  The most exciting part of our conversation was when the agent from Gladney told us that it is very possible to have our children home a year from now!!!  In the adoption world, that is like THE SPEED OF LIGHT! :) Everything became REAL to us during this conversation.  But, as overwhelming as the reality of adoption is, we are trusting God for His provision.  We anticipate the amazing things God will accomplish in and through His people. 

Every once in a while, I get strong impressions from the Lord.  Through scripture, preaching, and prayer, God reassures me of His purpose for us.  Sitting in church last night, I began to consider the miracle of our circumstance.  I began to reflect on the command in Scripture to preach the gospel to "every nation, kindred, tongue, and people," Revelation 14:6 and how Scripture declares that God has a PEOPLE, redeemed "out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation," Revelation 5:9.  What if God has called us to this adoption in order to make (3) little Colombian souls a part of THAT PEOPLE, redeemed by the blood of Christ?  Scripture teaches of God's infinite plan, how that Christ purchased His people "from the foundation of the world," Revelation 13:8.  What an astounding thought that, before the foundation of the world, God ordained that we would adopt these children.  We can only pray that His purpose for doing so was that they might KNOW HIM. What a beautiful story we will be able to tell them; how God's love purposed them to be our very own.  Not unlike how He has purposed US to be His very own.  Did His love seek you out?  Consider the circumstances that God used to bring you into His family.  Aren't we all immensely blessed?  We are not merely guests at the Kings table, we belong there.  

In light of this, are we to remain seated at the table, enjoying all of its bounty?  Or is this bounty to be shared?  Matthew 5:13-14 gives us a clue, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it (the earth) be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."  Take a moment to consider what salt does.  It seasons.  Once you put salt in something, you can't take it out again.  It's sort of permanent.  If you've ever over-salted your grits, you know this.  But, what about savor-less salt?  If salt had no taste, would you still put it on your french fries?  No, what would be the point?  If salt had no savor it would no longer be effective, it would be useless.  Light hearted jokes aside... God's word tells us that we are the "salt of the earth."  We are intended to be the effective kind of salt, the lingering kind of salt, the kind of salt that has SAVOR.  We should be making every effort, with our words, actions, thoughts, and deeds, to season this earth with the gospel.  THAT IS OUR PURPOSE.  Have you lost your savor?  Don't be "good for nothing," but be a BRIGHT LIGHT in this dark world, be "a city...on a hill (that) CANNOT BE HID."  Be effective for Christ.  We have work to do!