What I wish I would have added to this after mulling it over
is that you should just be ready for how incredibly different things are over there.
I know we all know that.
We know the food will be different
we know the sights and sounds will be different
we know the culture and expectations will most decidedly be different
but the needs of God's people are also going to look incredibly different
and that's the part I think I left out.
Your bubble?
Will burst.
When I talk about serving and loving I don't mean that you will just run into people sitting on the street asking for change but you will see more,
so much more.
The naked*
the dying
the sick
the injured
the children
it's all there.
It's all gonna be there.
I cannot begin to describe the homeless crisis and social injustices that are present over there.
Granted, I have stopped many times over here and helped.
Given a few dollars
gone back into a store and bought a Gatorade and a big bag of pretzels and handed it over on a street corner
but I'm telling you
you get over there
and it's gonna be different
way different.
I wish I had known.
I wish I had been ready.
Instead of acting defensively to whatever situation we came upon
I so wish I had acted offensively.
Because when you are on offense.
You are prepared.
You put on the armor.
You fight for victory.
You fight for good.
When you are responding defensively you aren't ready.
I wasn't.
I guess that's it.
I hope my heart is coming across in this.
I know it's a tremendous feat to cross an ocean and love on our children
but I guess my encouragement is this:
Don't let it end there.
Because there is more opportunity and more blessing than you could even imagine waiting for you.
You just have to stop and see it.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
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The interesting part of this - is that adoption actually is an offensive action. Please forgive me if this doesn't make sense as our little guy we adopted in Dec will have his amputation surgery in the morning. BUT we brought him home because we were told that he would NOT be treated in China until he turned 14. Hmmm that's not soooo bad right- HE would become one of those street people - what else can someone with incredibly deformed legs hope to be.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes be on the offensive while in China, because truly thatwouldhave been MY SON!
I had heard we would see people on the streets, and still I was shocked and un-prepared when we did. Literally unprepared as I had no money or anything on me. Hubby was ahead of me and somehow missed seeing this man, down on all fours to give passersby a better look at his skill which mas missing a large piece. He was smiling. We were with our group going to meet our bus but really, those are just excuses. We had to wait for the bus a bit and I could have gone back, it was only half a block. I should have gone back.
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