I have been blessed to be on this adoption journey as well as in the service of at-risk youth and orphans with the hands and feet of God in so many ways. Who is the hands and feet of God, you ask?
YOU!
Not everyone is called to adopt and there is NOTHING wrong with that but needless to say WE ALL ARE called to serve orphans and widows. It is not a option according to scripture but a commandment.
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
Here is some ideas of things you can do to be the feet and hands of Jesus!
1) Choose to pray for a family(ies) that have lost their loved one, are adopting, is a foster parent or is going on the mission field short or long.
2) Go on the mission field or do a mission trip working orphans or ones in distress.
3) Host an orphan.
4) Become a foster parent.
5) Adopt.
6) Financially support an adoption(s) or widow in need with the funds the Lord has blessed you with.
7) Baby sit for an adoptive family, widow or foster parent.
8) Help fundraise for a friend that is adopting.
9) Cook dinner for a widow who lost their loved one whether it be recently or years ago.
The list goes on.....we are all called to do something beyond being a pew pusher. It is easy to stand back and pat someone on the back and say "Good luck" and knod with a smile. But it is another to do something besides warming a seat and being quick to judge those that are answering the call from God. Joe & I have been so-called shunned by some of our family and friends because we are not answering their call to adopt an infant. We have been shunned by some because we have not adopted in the US according to their desires. We have been shunned by some because we are going back to Ukraine to adopt after being rejected by the boy we went to adopt. How stupid are we right? But see God does not say "adopt in your back yard, only stay with your own people, your culture, YOU OWN". We were all created equal in Gods image. We are all called to a different calling let alone a different place to adopt or do missions. That is the beauty in it all. He calls us to reach out to not just our neighbors but beyond. No where in the Bible does it say you are limited to where you reach out to serve, to adopt, what age you adopt and who you should adopt. God even says being a Christian is NOT going to be easy. So just because we are rejected we are suppose to stop trying to reach out?? God was rejected did he stop??? God IS rejected everyday! Jesus was spit on and rejected and he still died for YOU!
Why do I say all this......I want to show you images of folks I have been blessed to call my friends that answered the call from God to move forward in his name to adopt and/or host a child. There are SO many more that have answered the call but I wanted to give you a visual of what the feet and hands look like of God......
The Falchook Family - Adoption
The Collins Family - Foster, Host & Adoptive Parents
The McLaughlin Family - Host Family 3 Times & Plans To Adopt The Two Children Above Should The Lord Lead Them To!
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The McCoy Family - Host & Adoptive Family of Alex & Alona above |
The McKenzie Family (Above 2 Photos) - Adoptive Family
The Lewis Family - Adoptive Family Of Two Boys TODAY shown below TODAY!
The Dakake Family - Adoptive & Host Family & Founders of New Horizons For Children, Inc.
The Hands & Feet of God:
There are places Paul writes about all of us being different parts of the Body of Christ with different gifts and purposes.
We, who belong to the Church, are the living parts or members of Christ's body. "Christ is the head of the Church and saves the whole body" (Eph 5:23). Just as Christ is the vine, He is the head of His body, giving life to the members and bringing about their salvation. Paul uses the analogy of the human body in showing that all parts must cooperate for the good of the Church: "Not you together are Christ's body; but each of you is a different part of it" (I Cor 12:27). Some members are apostles, some teachers, but they all form one body united in Christ.
There is no greater gift then to be in the service of others......
We, who belong to the Church, are the living parts or members of Christ's body. "Christ is the head of the Church and saves the whole body" (Eph 5:23). Just as Christ is the vine, He is the head of His body, giving life to the members and bringing about their salvation. Paul uses the analogy of the human body in showing that all parts must cooperate for the good of the Church: "Not you together are Christ's body; but each of you is a different part of it" (I Cor 12:27). Some members are apostles, some teachers, but they all form one body united in Christ.
There is no greater gift then to be in the service of others......
Most importantly is will you answer his call?
