A friend from our church back in the States asked me to share something with you. I *might* get a little gift in return :)
I've been thinking a lot, though, about adoption lately. It is such a beautiful picture of God's great love for us. We have some friends that are adopting. 2 separate families. Also, a friend from high school & her husband just picked up their little girl from China last week.
The first family is trying to adopt from Haiti. Here's their blog in case you're interested in their story. We know this family very well and are so touched by their desire to love the world. Actually, I am surprised that they are only adopting 2 little kids... With the gracious heart that God has given them, it could be 5 or 10. Maybe it will be one day!
They are jumping hurdle after hurdle while waiting patiently for God to make a way for these 2 little children to be able to come home and be loved on by their family.
The second family will be home by the first week of March with their little 8 month old from Ethiopia. They have been posting and posting about their impatience to have their loved one with them. It is breaking their hearts for him to be away from them and also changing their perspective. I loved her post about weekends & holidays. She says: "Weekends and Holidays are two things that TOTALLY lose their appeal when you're in the adoption process. Nothing can happen on weekends and holidays. No files can be reviewed, no appointments can be made, no phone calls are received..." When you can't be with the one you love, everything else pales in comparison. The things that normally bring you joy are worthless in light of the greater joy of fellowship with your loved ones.
And I can only think of these 4 little children - 2 of which are too young to even know what love has been waiting for them on the other side of the world - and the blessings that lie in store for them. I know that adoptive parents don't want to be viewed as some type of "savior" for their children - but there is no mistaking the great blessings of grace & love that God will pour out on these children through their parents obedience. Blessings which are also poured out through biological parents in a way that often seems less willful or selective than adoption. In some cases this may be true. But in the majority of cases biological parents have, at some point, made a choice to open their lives to children. Many do this when they get married by choosing not to partake in contraceptives or other planning methods. Many do this by "planning" to have children.
And for others, while the child is still being formed, they choose not to abort. For others, after the child is born they choose to put the child up for adoption or to make life changes to enable their child the best that they can give them. There are so many moments along the way when a prospective parent can choose to withold that grace or love and, without a doubt, it is as great a miracle as birth itself that we - sinful, selfish and flawed as we are - are capable of loving someone so small and vulnerable - of being given the blessing to carry and nourish, to touch and see the very goodness of God.
This brings me to the jewelry...
A friend from North Carolina has this amazing heart for orphans as well. He & his wife are not filling their home with them, though. They are doing some amazing work serving them, visiting them, and also making it possible for many women to have a trade making jewelry which will hopefully enable them to provide (or help provide) for their families. In addition, half of the proceeds from the sale of their jewelry is returned to social needs including orphanages & widow or single mother ministries. They are not simply sending money but actually serving and visiting these children and families as well.
"Chunky Junk is a subsidiary of Lovoso [Love orphans, Visit orphans, Serve orphans], which specializes in hand-made jewelry from Dehli, India. We partner with a group of ladies there, buying their beautiful jewelry and selling them here in the United States. All of our jewelry is bought using fair trade business practices."
I love my jewelry from Chunky Junk and know that you will too - but not as much as I love being able to help people by purchasing jewelry - and definitely not as much as God loves the world. When I wear my jewelry it is a gorgeous reminder of the choice we all have to share in God's heart - to choose love. It might rock our world a little but it is so worth it!
A friend from our church back in the States asked me to share something with you. I *might* get a little gift in return :)
I've been thinking a lot, though, about adoption lately. It is such a beautiful picture of God's great love for us. We have some friends that are adopting. 2 separate families. Also, a friend from high school & her husband just picked up their little girl from China last week.
The first family is trying to adopt from Haiti. Here's their blog in case you're interested in their story. We know this family very well and are so touched by their desire to love the world. Actually, I am surprised that they are only adopting 2 little kids... With the gracious heart that God has given them, it could be 5 or 10. Maybe it will be one day!
They are jumping hurdle after hurdle while waiting patiently for God to make a way for these 2 little children to be able to come home and be loved on by their family.
The second family will be home by the first week of March with their little 8 month old from Ethiopia. They have been posting and posting about their impatience to have their loved one with them. It is breaking their hearts for him to be away from them and also changing their perspective. I loved her post about weekends & holidays. She says: "Weekends and Holidays are two things that TOTALLY lose their appeal when you're in the adoption process. Nothing can happen on weekends and holidays. No files can be reviewed, no appointments can be made, no phone calls are received..." When you can't be with the one you love, everything else pales in comparison. The things that normally bring you joy are worthless in light of the greater joy of fellowship with your loved ones.
And I can only think of these 4 little children - 2 of which are too young to even know what love has been waiting for them on the other side of the world - and the blessings that lie in store for them. I know that adoptive parents don't want to be viewed as some type of "savior" for their children - but there is no mistaking the great blessings of grace & love that God will pour out on these children through their parents obedience. Blessings which are also poured out through biological parents in a way that often seems less willful or selective than adoption. In some cases this may be true. But in the majority of cases biological parents have, at some point, made a choice to open their lives to children. Many do this when they get married by choosing not to partake in contraceptives or other planning methods. Many do this by "planning" to have children.
And for others, while the child is still being formed, they choose not to abort. For others, after the child is born they choose to put the child up for adoption or to make life changes to enable their child the best that they can give them. There are so many moments along the way when a prospective parent can choose to withold that grace or love and, without a doubt, it is as great a miracle as birth itself that we - sinful, selfish and flawed as we are - are capable of loving someone so small and vulnerable - of being given the blessing to carry and nourish, to touch and see the very goodness of God.
This brings me to the jewelry...
A friend from North Carolina has this amazing heart for orphans as well. He & his wife are not filling their home with them, though. They are doing some amazing work serving them, visiting them, and also making it possible for many women to have a trade making jewelry which will hopefully enable them to provide (or help provide) for their families. In addition, half of the proceeds from the sale of their jewelry is returned to social needs including orphanages & widow or single mother ministries. They are not simply sending money but actually serving and visiting these children and families as well.
"Chunky Junk is a subsidiary of Lovoso [Love orphans, Visit orphans, Serve orphans], which specializes in hand-made jewelry from Dehli, India. We partner with a group of ladies there, buying their beautiful jewelry and selling them here in the United States. All of our jewelry is bought using fair trade business practices."
I love my jewelry from Chunky Junk and know that you will too - but not as much as I love being able to help people by purchasing jewelry - and definitely not as much as God loves the world. When I wear my jewelry it is a gorgeous reminder of the choice we all have to share in God's heart - to choose love. It might rock our world a little but it is so worth it!