Radical or Biblical?

I have been reading the book by David Platt - Radical: Taking back your faith from the American dream for the past couple weeks. The book club at church is meeting next week to discuss it and I'm looking forward to hearing what others have to say about it. Platt brings up several points about the sin of materialism that is accepted in the American church as the norm and the centrality of missions in the church instead of simply an optional program intended for a certain type of person.

The chapter I was reading last night highlighted the statistics regarding the poor and needy in the world saying numbers on a page can seem cold and distant. Platt has adopted previously and is in the process of adopting again. He states, "We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes."

Although I do not know their names and I haven't seen their faces, as I lay in bed last night my heart ached for my children. For the first time I shed tears as I thought about their lives on the other side of the world. I don't know if they are getting enough to eat or if they have a safe place to lay their head. I don't know know if there is someone to pick them up when they fall down or to help dry their tears. As much as I trust God and His timing that doesn't ease the increasing desire I have for my boys to be home.

Some musings from Vegas

As I write this I'm sitting pool side at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I am in Vegas for a software development conference. God knows that I love to travel and He also knows that I am trying to save money in every area of my life right now. To be able to essentially take a free trip is just another of the blessings that He has given me since I said yes to this whole adoption thing. I feel extremely grateful for the opportunities He continues to provide for me. One of these opportunities was to watch the Lion King production. It was a remarkable show full of vibrant color and energy. Since the story takes place in Africa I couldn't help but think about my children as I looked in the face of young Simba.

Tomorrow I leave to come back home. It will likely be the last airplane I will be on until I leave to go to Ethiopia. As I near the holiday season I am aware that it will likely be my last Thanksgiving and Christmas without my sons being home. Each of these events reminds me that with the passage of each day I am one day closer. I intend to be thankful for not only that but also to be thankful for all of the time in between because each day is a chance to live for the One that has orchastrated all of this according to His plan.