Beware

Okay I have Julia to thank for this...
I have been reading this blog after seeing an excerpt on her blog. 

But be warned:  if you like living in sweet ignorance, you think you know God's plans for your life, family, or finances; or even if you - like me - think "I love the idea of taking care of orphans - we sponsor a child through Compassion (pat on the back for me!)"

DO NOT START READING KATIE'S BLOG.

So here's my quick story: The idea of orphans/adoption is nothing out of our realm of reality.  We have several friends who have adopted domestically and internationally.  We have friends who are helping run an organization to care for orphans.  My sweet friend Kendra is my favorite person to collaborate on craft shows with (and buy lots of bows from for my own girls) because she makes and sells the cutest bows with all the proceeds going toward their own international adoptions and other orphan causes.  Her heart (and her family's) beat to love orphans and intercede in many ways on their behalf.  She knows more about orphans and adoption than I would think one heart could handle.

But here's the stat that has brought me to my knees:

(This is the same excerpt on Julia's Blog - found on Katie's blog August 29, 2009)

I am sad and I am angry. Between no sleep and a million doctors appointments (imagine that in Uganda you wait even LONGER in the hospital than you do in the US...) and Bible club on Thursday and Saturday program tomorrow and trying to raise 13 children and spend enough time with each of them, maybe you will right my saddess and anger of as the rantings of an exhausted mother and maybe they are, but this is my blog and I am going to say what I feel like. I am MAD. I have been sad and broken for these children for so long and it has finally turned into a hardened anger. I am angry that this culture so lies to women that Michael's stepmother believes that she does not have to care for this child who is not biologically hers, though she has ample means to. I am angry that in the "Pearl of Africa" and the most fertile region of it at that, a mother has litteraly NO food to feed her baby, not to mention herself or 6 other kids. I am angry that the result of this is that these sweet ones suffer in their innocence. I have said it before and it still holds true: I DO NOT BELIEVE that the God of the universe created too many children in His image and not enough love or food or care to go around. In fact I believe that He created the Body of Christ for just that, to help these little ones, the least of these. And I believe that except for a handful, the Body of Christ is failing. And its not just me who thinks this. When I'm angry, I like to research so that I can at least feel a bit justified in my rage ;) According to several differnt resources, there are an average of 147 million orphaned children in the world today (this statistic includes children who have lost only one parent as well), 11 million children starve to death each year or die from preventable, treatable illness. 8.5 million children work as child slaves, prostitutes, or in other horrific conditions (making things like that cute baby Gap dress Jane wore today...) 2.3 million children world wide are living with HIV.







That is 168.8 million needy children like Michael and Patricia. Seems like a big number, huh? It shouldn't, because there are 2.1 BILLION people on this earth who profess to be Christians. Jesus followers. Servants. Gospel live-ers. And if only 8 percent of those Christians would care for just ONE of these needy children, they would all be taken care of.





And now I'm just sad again. And I want to take care of all 169 million. But as I look into Patricia's eyes, that since just 48 hours ago have turned bright and smiley, as I smell her hair freshly washed with baby shampoo and snuggle her into her new footie pajamas (side note: is their ANYTHING cuter than a baby in soft cotton footie pajamas?!) God tells me that this one is enough. That He will hold the others while they wait for someone to come along and hold them tight and give them their milk and their medicine. That He doesn't ask me to take them all but to stop for the ONE because that one is Jesus, His son. Stop for the little boy with white haid and scabs covering his body, stop for the baby with feces covering her dress, so weak she can't hold up her hear. Stop and take the ones right in front of me any trust Him with the rest. He whispers that it will be ok and that I can smile because tonight 2 less children are hungry and that is good for today.

If you want to read the background stories of babies mentioned here, go look at her blog.
 
Okay now for a reality check:  This is a girl who grew up in Tennessee.  Probably not all that different from me or many of my friends that read my blog.  She has a family who loves her in America.  Parents who probably had dreams of their sweet baby girl growing up, going to college, marrying a nice young man and raising grandbabies nearby where they could spoil them.  She was a girl who may have dreamed of these things and even was going down that path.  She is living in Africa.  Raising 14 children as her own.  Taking care of all the educational, medical, physical and spiritual needs of 400 others.  Every day.  I am overwhelmed many days with my 3 and the "craziness" of our life. 
 
Everytime I have spent time reading her vulnerable, honest, REAL stories, tears pour down my face.  I am not a crier people, but seriously what is God doing with me through this sweet woman?  God what part are we to play in caring for our one?  Somehow I have this feeling that there is more to it than sending money every month to Compassion.  What might it be for you?  Watch out - if you do not want to be changed - don't go to her blog.  Don't read her stories.  Don't let your mind really picture what life is like outside our little bubble.  Seriously though - 8 percent.  I feel like we know so many people we should know 8 percent of the believers in the world.  Probably not the case, but I am just dumbstruck that it would only take 8% of the people in the world that profess to follow Christ to take care of one child and that would cover it.
 
Okay I really need to go to bed, but can I tell you something I just learned about Katie tonight that does make her different from me (This isn't the only difference obviously but it is a crazy one)? 
 
She is 20 years old.  Do you know what I was doing when I was 20?  Well, suffice it to say I was not parenting 14 children and running a major ministry.