The truth as I know it:

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time & miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands. ~~~ Kristi Larson

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Does this mean I'm normal?

I have gotten a kick out of Sara Palin this week.  I have laughed as everyone laughed at her, but I have been laughing WITH her.  You see, I write things on my hand all the time.  I don't really think it's that unusual, or maybe it is.  But I personally am prone to forgetting.  Right now, at this very moment, in red Sharpie, it says, "socks, Valentine's, pipe stem" on my left hand.  I mean, you would think that I could remember those three simple things for the next two hours until I get to Wally World, but I might see a chicken in the road and then all would be lost.  I'd spend $80 wandering around the store wondering what the heck I came in there for.

So, I don't want to judge whether or not I'm "normal" by any politician, but just this once, maybe she has brought a little normalcy to what I already considered a very normal thing.

What about you?  Do you write stuff on your hands?  How do you remember what you have to do in a day?  or are you one of THOSE people whose brains just function properly?  Bleck!

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That was my original post for the day.  Awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, I know, I know... how do I do it, you must be asking yourself! :)

But then I got this text forwarded to me from Gwen, who copied it straight from Heidi Weimer's FB page.  After I read it, I felt a little flat about my musings of the morning... humph!  I suck!

Preface: I can't say what every person should or should not do nor will I judge a person who doesn't supposedly "get it." That's wrong...

1) Scripture says that if we see someone in need and we have something that would fill their need yet DO NOT fill it, we do not have the love of God in us. [We have a family; orphans don't; we therefore should share with the orphan what we have that they do not.]

2) Scripture says that we must do to others what we would want done to us (or our own biological kids, for that matter). If we were orphaned, we would want to be adopted. Period. Not just visited or taken care of in a group home. Adopted into a family. And we would want the same for our biological kids.

3) Jesus didn't just come to visit us or care for us in our orphaned state; He came to lay down His life to adopt us. James 1:27 uses the phrase "visit orphans." The word "visit" there is the same word used for when Jesus came to "visit" us. He didn't leave us as orphans; He adopted us. He didn't see us in our orphaned state of despair and say, "Oh, poor things...I wish someone would do something about that." No, He adopted us. Changed our futures; our destinies; our families. We are to follow Him and do as He did.

4) How can we not? How can we look at the children in the world without families and say, 'No, not worth it.'? Our lives are not our own. We are called to pick up our crosses and follow Him. Not our own plans or desires or conveniences. Ain't nothin' about this whole "following Jesus" thing that is supposed to be convenient. Ask Jesus if the Cross was "convenient" or glamorous.

So, should every Christian adopt? Well, I like to turn that question on its head...What is a good reason a Christian SHOULDN'T adopt? Most reasons are self-focused if we are really honest with ourselves.

[Obviously, many people are not "fit" to adopt right now, but that is usually due to our own messes we've made with relationships, finances, life choices, etc, and not something put in our way stopping us from adopting.]

5 comments:

Bethany said...

How funny! I do the same thing and even sometimes, I pin a note to my shirt. When I was teaching, I would sometimes walk to carpool and have three lists pinned to my shirt. My 'parents' would laugh at me, but they totally 'got it'!

Wow! What an incredible second post! As I read it, my heart just longs for the orphans....

Andrea Young said...

I write stuff on my hand all the time too:). Ran across your blog from Kristi's...and glad I did!

That second article though to me is a bit much. I'm a HUGE orphan advocate---we have a ministry in Zambia that ministers to 450 orphans. I think when Christians make people feel guilty for not wanting to adopt or ask the question "What is a good reason a Christian SHOULDN'T adopt?"...that's like asking someone "Why shouldn't you be a missionary in Africa?"...well, because not everyone is called by God to. I think Christians have to be really careful in how they word things--and especially answering it with "reasons are self-focued". I also so that article on a blog some where and my eyes about popped out of my head as honestly, I just don't think it lines up with the gospel. I sure don't want to scare people into heaven...and I don't want to scare them into adopting either. It should be about following the Lord--and being obedient...it's not about being "fit" or "why not"...it's about following the Lord.

Danyele Easterhaus said...

i write on my hands...always have. i suppose one day i will actually remember to read them!

Becky and Keith said...

Oh, Ondrea... I'm a Wally World wanderer. I talk to myself as I try to remember what I went there for and, like you, $80 later I still can't remember. BUT, it never fails - as soon as I park in the driveway I remember it! :-)

EJ and Grace said...

I think it is very normal to write all over your hand. I always have a handful of to do's for the day. In college I always had to show my hand to my professors on test day so they knew I wasn't cheating.