Opportunity to Adopt Jesus...

You know, I am not sure why God waited so long to reveal the importance and responsibility my husband and I have with caring for his lambs, the orphan, along with our treasured children which He allowed us to bring into the world through birth. I read this article below tonight and was so convicted that we hadn't adopted sooner, but, I have to trust that God is sovereign and it wasn't time yet...And please know, it's not like I'm on some "high horse" now that we've adopted, but I am soooo humbled by the joy and beauty of adoption that I want to encourage my fellow believers!! There is a passion one feels and can't help but proclaim the glories of God through adoption!! I pray that there will be a revival among believers to begin praying and literally asking God, "where do you want me in this calling to care for your children." However, that may look in a believer's life may look different than the next person, especially if one is unequally yoked and the spouse can not see the beauty in it...As much as I am content with four children...We do have a van that seats 2 more and a room that can still be converted from a den to a bedroom...Yea, a little scary to me and frankly overwhelming to think about in my own strength, but, nonetheless my prayer is, "any other lost lambs you have waiting for us Lord?? Strip me down from my comforts and stretch me and grow me in ways I never knew possible."


Some information that I found and pasted here:
Opportunity
There are over 145 million orphans in the world today. That is 145 million children in dire need of care and family. 145 million opportunities to care for, provide for, shelter, feed, clothe, and adopt Jesus Himself according to Matthew 25 which says that what we do for the “least of these we do to Jesus.” In our own country there over 500,000 children in foster care. That is 500,000 opportunities for the church to provide Jesus with a family temporarily. Of those half a million, 129,000 are available for adoption. They are orphans living in our neighborhoods, in our cities. That is 129,000 opportunities to adopt Jesus – who may happens to be a 13 year old that has been bounced between 11 different foster homes in the last 10 years.

Not only do we have unprecedented opportunity to minister to Jesus in the orphans of the world but we have opportunity to make much of Jesus and bring glory to God through our love for them. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16). Our care for orphans is part of the churches mission in this broken world as we put the gospel on display.

Responsibility
Everything changes when you are responsible for something. I think a large reason the church does not do more in the area of orphan care, adoption, and foster care is that we don’t believe we have a responsibility for these children. For some, the perceived distance between them and the orphan is a release from bearing responsibility. For others, it is simply not being aware or not taking the time to think about the orphan. We will never make significant impact if we don’t feel responsible to make a difference. It is natural for us to take care of our “own” children. In their case, there is no question about who is responsible. But, who is responsible for those children who have no parents to call them their “own.” Biblically, it is the church. God makes that clear in the scriptures (see Ex 22:22, Deut 24:17, Ps 10:18, Ps 82:3, Isa 1:17, James 1:27 for just a few). No other institution, organization, club, group, clique on earth has been given this responsibility. We bear it as God’s children and we must act on it. Not only that but the good news is that we don’t have to act on it alone and in our own power – the Gospel gives us power and strength that will sustain us in our efforts to care for others.