"Radical" Thoughts

"My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus' words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to him."  These words are written by David Platt in his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, but they are echoed in my spirit.  I underline them, because I need to read them again.

I continue reading.  And underlining.  "You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us.  Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him."  

                                                   

God has put a relentless love for the orphan in my heart, and I've asked Him so many times, "What in the world am I supposed to do with this?"  We've worked on adoptions before, and yet we have not adopted. We have a homestudy (again), but we don't have any reason for it (that I can see with my own eyes).  I pester the Lord many days to please show me a way to do something with this passion.  

Two Saturdays ago, I was compelled to pray about my husband and I going on a missions trip to an orphanage.  I prayed.  I checked out some ministries I'm familiar with.  And as a last thought, I send off an email to a couple at church to ask if anything orphanage-related was in the works for missions trips.  The next day after church, they came to my husband and me to say that actually there is just that kind of trip being planned to Kenya and would be officially announced the next week!  

Please be praying with us that the Lord would raise up the exact group He knows needs to be sent. Please pray with us that if God would honor our requests to Him to be included in that group, He would provide the money we need to get the tickets.  So far, God's been so gracious to bless us with some offers for help with our kiddos and also some donations for fundraising.  My heart's desire is to attend this trip, and I know if that's a dream the Lord has planted in my heart, He will show His overwhelming faithfulness in the fulfilling of it.

I'll write more and share more, but please be praying.  There are little ones without mamas and daddies who need to know the love of Christ.  There are babies who don't spend time being held while they drink their milk, because there are too few sets of arms to hold them.  There are buildings in need of repair.  Please pray with us that God would open the doors according to His will, so that if He wants me to be rocking babies in Kenya this spring (while Selden fixes stuff), that we will go!