“I will not leave you as orphans.”-John 14:18
Wendy, the blogger at I will not leave you as orphans, recently commented on our site and agreed with my adoption definition from my previous post, Different?! She mentioned how thankful our children were for the gifts that were given to them. Aside from the everyday struggles of parenthood, we are amazed at how children speak a universal language. That language is JOY.
Joy at the simplest things, like stickers; “Manny” our 4year old ran down the aisle at church to be dismissed to children’s church on Sunday morning. He was screaming with excitement and running with such enthusiasm that everyone in the church could see and hear him going down the aisle. His joy was even more evident when the pastor handed a sticker to all the kids to which he taunted his big brother saying,”ook, ook, me, me Wees.” (translate: look, look, me, me, Luis.”) Sometimes as parents or adults we forget what “Joy” actually is until we see our kids get excited about something.
So in church yesterday, we watched a short video presentation from Operation Christmas Child and you wouldn’t believe that I felt water falling down my cheeks. Meg and I smiled, turned to look at each other and both of our eyes were red with tears. We said, “We know what they felt.” The kids in the video were real people to us. They were our children, they showed the same kind of enthusiasm and excitement about a Shoebox full of paper, glue, and dolls; as I show about a chance to play soccer or a new bike gadget or my iPod, and just as much excitement as “Manny” showed about his little sticker. We cried cause we are forever connected to God’s heart for the orphaned and the widow. Being an adoptive family doesn’t give us all the answers or a pass to God’s grace (that is a gift for everyone through Jesus) but we have a unique understanding of what it means to be “adopted as sons into God’s family.”
Please remember, that one way you too can help the orphans this Christmas is by putting a little shoebox together and sending it off to be given as a gift to one of God’s children. Here is the video that we watched, and make sure to have some tissues handy. Remember, God promises that “[He] will not leave you as orphans,” and that through his people others too will believe.