Example One: Why Every Child Deserves a Home and a Family

Today, after a follow up appointment with the ENT, Malachi and I had to stop by the pharmacy.  While waiting for the clerk to put in our order, Malachi was chatting away.  "Where Papa?  What's that?  Up, Mommy!"  The clerk looked up smiled and said, "Wow, what a chatty little boy!"  I almost started crying...if only this lady has seen him 12 months ago.  He was basically a nonverbal, tantrum throwing, extremely reserved little boy.  Now, he is a happy little boy who goes to toddler church without crying, chatters an entire 25 minute car ride home, throws a mean tantrum from time to time (come on now, he is 2 :), and loves his family.  EVERY CHILD DESERVES A FAMILY!

Lately, there has been so much talk about ending adoptions.  This has me fired up...Do I believe adoptions need to be conducted in an ethical manner?  Absolutely!  Do I think, if possible, children should stay with their first family in their country of birth?  Without a doubt!  Do I think we, as Christians and Americans, need to support the poverty stricken so they can keep their children?  Completely!  However, even if all adoptions were completed ethically and we poured money into the poverty stricken villages so families could stay together...there would still be orphans.  This is a fallen, sinful world people! 

I have visited Guatemala since adoptions have officially closed in 2008.  The orphanages are full of beautiful children growing up without families.  In fact, there are estimated to be over 370,000 orphans in Guatemala alone. 

 

Guatemalans do not typically adopt Guatemalan children.  ("The majority of the children that could be adopted [by Guatemalans] are Mayan, and the families who can adopt often don't want children with that type of skin or that hair color. They want light-color children. That's our culture. It's not that we're bad. It's the way we were taught")   So, the alternative for these children is an orphanage.  An orphanage, no matter how nice or how much it is set up to resemble family setting, is not a family.  We need to speak up for these children!  Every. Child. Deserves. A. Family.

As I walked away from the pharmacy counter, I thought to myself...where would my little boy be if he hadn't been adopted.  If he hadn't received surgery to put tubes in his ears and relieve his constant ear infections.  If he hadn't received speech weekly.  If he hadn't received occupational therapy to build up his jaw muscles.  If the government decided (as they are threatening to do now) that adoption is not the best course of action for the true orphans within his birth country?  Where would he be?  More tears came because I didn't like the answer.

7: Month Two: Chicken is not my Friend

Month one of our seven month fast is done.  Sadly, it was not difficult for me to get rid of 210 things....I far exceeded that number and my house is still filled.  Every time I tackled a new area of my possessions, I felt extreme guilt over the amount of money I had thrown into acquiring all this stuff.  I hope that this feeling of "enough is enough" will stick with me in the coming months/years.

I am going to be honest though, I had to talk myself through Target several times...."You don't need anything.  It doesn't matter how great of a sale they are having.  Get what you came for and leave.  Don't even walk in that section.  Get thee behind me Satan!"  It is hard to for me to mesh the poverty I have seen and the amount of stuff I have...I need to change!  Brian thinks if I worried less about fashion and what people think of me, I could eliminate a lot more stuff (ouch that hurts but I am afraid it is very true).  I think the biggest lesson I learned this month is...I need to change--my stuff has WAY TOO BIG of a hold on me!


By contrast, month two, I am afraid, will prove more difficult on a daily basis...

Month two is seven foods.  All month I will only eat seven foods.  Sounds yummy, huh?  After much thought, I have decided on the following seven foods...

Chicken
Rice
Lima Beans
Apples
Wheat Bread
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Fiber Cleansing Snacks (these are my indulgence and part of my cleanse)

 

We decided drinks would not count as one of our food items...however, I am eliminating all soda and only drinking water, tea, or a cleansing drink.  I decided to also do a cleanse this month....I might as well take my limited diet and rid my body of toxins at the same time (probably this is cheating I know...but hey, if you aren't eating only 7 foods for one whole month don't judge...oh my goodness, I am already getting grouchy and it is only day two :).

I am praying this month as I am craving a specific food item, I will turn to Jesus to fill me up.  It sounds a bit cliché, I know.  However, here, in America, where food is not something about which I worry, I say my standard prayer before a meal but am I really truly thanking God for providing my food.  Do I truly understand that without Him, I would not have food at all.  Or, far too often do I think it is my hard work that provided the money that bought the food...you know its about me and my work ethic instead of God and His gifts.

So, this month, give me some grace if I am grouchy or if it appears that I might want to eat you.  And, please bring me something other than chicken to eat on November 1st...