Was God Just Kidding?

This post has been mulling in my heart for a really, really long time.  I have prayed.  If you are ‘not in the mood’, then please just skip it.   If you decide to read, proceed with caution and remember that what I share, I share in love and through deep conviction in my own heart.

********************

Remember Lisa {Karl’s aunt who instigated the blind date between Autumn and Karl}?  She and her husband and two children are missionaries in Kenya.

Yesterday morning I received a text message from Lisa asking for prayer.   A little boy whom they call “Little Dwight” from the orphanage where they serve, was having seizures and they could not get the seizures to stop.  They had brought Little Dwight to the hospital and they still would not stop.

Somehow Lisa’s text hit me close to home.

Ruby has seizures.  They are scary.  They are long.  Really long. She had one about 10 days ago when Dw was still in Africa.   Seizures are not something that one ever gets “used to”.  Even two of Ruby’s neurologists, when I have said, “Seizures freak me out,” they each {separately} have responded, “Yes, they’re very scary.”  {When neurologists who have dedicated their lives to caring for the brain, agree that seizures are scary, that says something!}

To top it off, Lisa’s prayer request was for a little orphan boy with the same name as my husband.

All day long I could not stop praying for Little Dwight, his precious body fighting.

Later in the day I received this text message:

 “Little Dwight, who has no mama or baba, 
did not wake frm seizure.  
Medicated n sleeping @hospital.  
Pls keep praying.” 

A little boy, known by only a few, without a mama or baba…

Tears filled my eyes.  I could feel the sobs coming…

What are we doing friends?


*and*


Do we honestly care?

There are, literally, millions of precious treasures around the world, without a mama or baba.

Do we care?

I mean, do we really, really care?

And what are we doing about it?

Do we really think that an all-knowing, all-powerful God put us on Earth to ignore the orphan’s cry?

Do we really think that Almighty God put us on Earth just to spend the vast majority of our time making ourselves happy?

Do we really believe that the God of the Universe, who wove throughout His word a thread to ‘care for the orphans and widow”, really meant it as a suggestion for people?  


Maybe it was just an idea from God 
for those who don’t have anything else to do?  
You know,  kind of like, “busy work”.  


Or do we think that God was just kidding?

The thread throughout God’s Holy word is to care for the orphan, the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the starving, the imprisoned. 

  


And yet, we spend most of our days with little thought for the orphan, the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the starving and the imprisoned.  


Sooooo….was God just kidding?

And why did He use real life examples of people who made a difference through the power of adoption in the Bible?

When God could have chosen any one of thousands of beautiful young women to be Queen and save the entire Jewish nation….He chose an orphaned girl who had been adopted…named Esther.

WHY?

Because adoption is His heart.

And if adoption is His heart, what are we doing to beat with His heart?

Oh me.  We’re so busy hustling through life:  “busy, busy, busy.”

“You have no idea, just how busy!”

I hear people all the time say:  “I am sooooooo busy.”

And I don’t want to appear rude, so I bite my tongue, but wonder:

“Exactly what are you soooooo busy doing?”

Sweet friends, do we realize that at the end of our days we will give
an account for how we spent our time –

And yes, we will account for what we did specifically to care for the orphan, 
the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the starving, the imprisoned.

Was God Just Kidding?


Each one of us have the same number of hours in our day.

It’s true, God gives us each our free will and we can spend our days however we wish.

But I can’t help but wonder how much regret there will be when we kneel before the throne?

If there were to be a big screen, revealing our lives, moment by moment….how much wasted minutes, which roll into hours, which roll into days, which roll into weeks, which roll into years?

Minutes wasted on Facebook
{unless you’re using it to primarily advocate for the orphan}

Minutes wasted on Pinterest
{longing for things we can’t have and don’t really need – ouch!}

Minutes wasted reading Books that hold no eternal value
{in the end, what do they matter?}

Minutes wasted on Television
{it’s basically all garbage, really!}

Minutes wasted on Shopping
{filling our homes with stuff while the rest of the world won’t eat}

Minutes wasted on Hobbies
{while more than 350 million don’t know if they will eat today}

Minutes wasted on anything but what really matters for eternity.

Which adds up to hours, weeks, months and years.

Was God Just Kidding?

Do we really think that Almighty God is nodding His approval as we spend our days doing nothing that really matters?   Doing nothing to make a difference in the lives of the orphan, the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the starving, the imprisoned?

Somewhere in life the Western world got the idea that
“if we have earned it, we most definitely deserve it.”  Kick back.  You’ve ‘worked’ hard enough.

Friends!!

We didn’t earn it to keep for ourselves.  Actually, we didn’t even earn it to “keep most” for ourselves!!  We ‘earned’ it by His grace and His grace alone – 
to give it away – 
generously!!

I can’t help but wonder how much grief there will be when an accounting is done in eternity?

Will there be great applause for the bigger home?
The big boat?
The super-sized camper with all the frills?
The big 401K?
The things that brought the applause on Earth?

Not a chance.

Was God Just Kidding?


He most definitely was NOT kidding.

But there is time, friends!!

There is time to change our hearts and our ways.

There isn’t much time, but there is time.

Repent.

Turn from the things that steal your minutes, your hours, your weeks, your years and your resources.

Turn off the TV, get out of your comfort zone, get off the couch, get off Facebook, get off whiling away the minutes, the hours, the weeks, the months and the years….

Get involved in caring for the orphan, the oppressed, the poor, the widow,
the starving and the imprisoned.

Where do you start?

Prayer is the starting point….

Pray for the orphan.  Little Dwight!  The orphans around the world.  The foster care system in the United States.  Those in the midst of adoption.  Those just home from adopting.  Those who are contemplating disrupting their adoption.  The missionaries who tirelessly serve around the world.  The widows in your community {The modern day widow is the single mom.}  Start fasting regularly for all of these needs…

Join Elijah’s Hope {it’s free!} and commit to pray for ONE orphan!

BUT while you are praying – Get busy!  

Don’t wait!!

I know so many people who are using the excuse “I’m still praying about what to do!”

Are you kidding?

The need is there.

What in the world must be prayed about?

Get busy!

Don’t wait!

Say you “care?”

{It’s an action verb.}

Prove it!  


Prove it in tangible ways. 

Get involved in real ministry to the orphan, the widow, the oppressed, the poor, the vulnerable – No doubt, it WILL hurt – but it will change your life – for good!

Then lay your head down at night knowing that because you were alive today – 
the world is a better place – 
because you were alive today – you did all you could to be His hands and His feet – 
to minister God’s love 
to those who He so desperately loves….
because no, actually, 
God was NOT kidding.    

39 thoughts on “Was God Just Kidding?

  1. Thank you Linny, these exact things have been so much on my heart, thank you for sharing. It is not enough to cry, its not enough to let orphans break your heart, that is just the starting point for God to begin His work in us and through us for them. Action needs to happen, their lives depend on it.

  2. Oh friend…..I couldn't agree more! It hurts my heart knowing my own CHURCH has done very little to help. 🙁 What in the world are we doing?

    Our youngest, soon to be adopted foster son has epilepsy from the trauma he suffered by his birth mom before he came to live with us, and I have to agree: seizures are TERRIBLY scary!

    Oh Little Dwight…if only we could get you here!

  3. You have touched my heart! As you might remember, we work with the homeless people in our capital city in Madagascar in christian medical programs. We often hear the same, people wait and pray and want to see, before they support us… The need is real and every waited moment is a lost one! But it seems God needs to touch hearts deeper to get involved!

  4. I love this blog, but I don't quite understand what your are saying we earned, but I do find it to be true that we as humans did not earn anything from God. mercy, grace, life, Jesus, etc. are all gifts from God. None of those things can be earned by a mere human.

  5. Thank you so much for writing these words! They are my heart too! I'm working in an orphanage and adopting my first so I hear many well-meaning comments too. What you wrote is what I'd often like to say in reply! I'm a single mom so that also makes people rave about how "great" I am and I'd like to point out that I am NOT great I am only doing what Jesus has asked all of us to do: to care for the poor, the needy and the orphan! God bless you and your beautiful family!!

  6. Of course Linny, you know this is striking a cord with me… Thanks for the message… I so appreciate your prayers and especially your heart!:) Praying for you all!

  7. Any suggestions on how we could do this? It's after work, I'm exhausted, and I'm watching TV and on Facebook. A lot of it is adoption related. I do sponsor a child, advocate for single mothers and pray for the orphan. I do not do much, in the grand scheme of things. I do not. I sincerely would like any ideas or discussion on ways the average person can help these 4. I plan to pray and let Him tell me. Suggestions are welcome! I love this post. Thanks for writing it! Poor Dwight.

  8. I found your blog recently and have so enjoyed reading your thoughts and seeing your beautiful family! Just had to say that this post resonated with me!! God is serious about the "least of these" and we, as His people, should be serious about their care. Thank you for stating that so clearly! We have 3 bio kiddos and have had a precious daughter home from China for about 18 months. I'm most convicted about the use of my time….thanks for the gentle nudge to guard the spending of it as closely as I do my other resources! Looking forward to visiting here regularly!

  9. God bless you for putting this out there. We love what your family is all about, and the way you go about doing it. A sermon you & DW did a few years ago about adoption was so encouraging to us that we listened to it again, and again. It was just the final push that we needed (after almost 20 years)to finally begin the adoption process. We are now paperchasing our 6th treasure, and our third who has come to us through adoption. Thanks you guys!
    Love & peace
    The Foro Family

  10. So beautifully said. I thank God for your servant hearts. We have adopted two from China, and are adopting two more. We will pray for Dwight! We pray for changed hearts in people! We pray that esp. the children with severe special needs who get over looked will get Mama's and Bubba's! Thank you for being obedient to your calling!!!! God Bless you and your beautiful family! In Christ, The Benslays (our two Chinese children lived with your daughter Jubilee, in the same foster care…) How is she doing?

  11. Linny, I read your blog quite a bit, but comment very infrequently. This post read directly to my heart.

    My coworker and I were talking about this very thing today. How America is so wealthy and concerned with things that just don't matter when there are children that don't even know where their next meal will come from.

    We are both in school for global and community health and both of our hearts are in this matter. She lived in Haiti for 6 months and cannot wait to go back. I can't wait to graduate and be able to use my education for this very thing.

    Just had to share with you. Keep writing about Jesus.

  12. Truly a powerful post! I am in the middle of an adoption now, and this made me even more determined to help other families and organizations who are working so hard to make positive differences in the lives of widows and orphans. God bless you!

  13. What a fabulous post! Amen, amen, amen. We are in the midst of adopting a special needs little boy from China, but in the meantime I struggle about how to serve the hungry, the orphan, the poor, the widow, etc. I homeschool 4 little kids (ages 8,6,4,3) at home and really want to serve but I don't really know how…many of the opportunities I've found aren't really "kid friendly". I would love to hear how other families with young kids serve to give me some ideas. Thanks for your post :-).

  14. I'm surprised you haven't had any comments – hummm….

    From my chair you are spot on – "care" is an action word!!

    Other thougths that passed thru my mind as I was reading your words – the first historically documented International Adoption – Moses – just.sayin…

    And the insight that the single mother is the modern "widow" – that's about brilliant – and maybe even an "Inspired Insight" into the world around us here today.

    Great stuff – pray constantly – but act too!

    hugs – aus and co.

  15. I read a story once that talked about a Christian family and how they were all busy going into different directions. The family unit was falling apart while they were busy. At the end of the story the acronym B.U.S.Y. was used and it meant Being Under Satan's Yoke. It really struck a chord with me. We did not have any children yet, but both my husband and I remember that story. We have tried to apply that knowledge to our lives and have seriously tried not to become too busy for God, family and others.

    I know I fail God a lot, but I always try to do what He calls me to do. We are now getting ready to bring home our 7th child, 6th from China. We are not wealthy, but the Lord has supplied our every need. We "were" short $4000 for this adoption and I leave on 2/27, but I knew the Lord would supply that need. I just found out today that our tax return has been approved and will be deposited on Friday. It more than covers our last adoption fees. God is an awesome God!

  16. Dear Linny:

    we have heard the call ard our doing our best to answer. We are in the process of adopting a 6 year old little girl from China. She has special needs…. DONT WE ALL. We have had very very little support from family… those who proclaim themselves as Christians have been the worst. We really dont understand! We have been told we are too old ..ages 45 and 46.. amongst a million other reasons. Fundraising has been difficult but we are slowly but surely getting there. Id like to ask your permission to share our link to the fundraising/giving site we are using. Please let me know if thats something we can do.
    Thank You so much for your blog… I have been reading it for several years "behind the scenes"… it is an inspiration.

    Lisa Scheidegger

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