Il n'est pas de moi!

The last few weeks I have read, heard, and witnessed many incredible stories about adoption.  The momma in me gets wrapped up in wanting to gather other children in need and shower them with love and invite them into our family.  The humanitarian in me is saddened that there are children who are going to die because there is no access to HIV medication, clean water, shelter, or food.  The believer in me feels urgency to be obedient to the call.

I have told anyone who would listen to me about the adoption conference I attended, the blog I read, the book I devoured in a few hours, or examples of dear friends who are living James 1:27.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained."

I am excited by the reminder.  I am ready to DO something...to take a step...to be obedient.  I am studying God's Word trying to wrap my head around what my role as believer MUST be...I talk and debate and cry and praise and question.

Then a few days ago our son, Jacob (age 12), looked at me and said, "Mom, maybe it isn't about you.  Maybe this is about our family going on mission trips and working with orphans.  Maybe it is about me (Jacob), and one day I will start a ministry or adopt some children." 

WHAT!  Not about me....this amazing 12 year old, young man is absolutely right.  I have been trying to figure out how we could fly to Ethiopia and adopt a couple kids, or what ministry I could start to help bring awareness and necessities to those who are in need around our community, country, and world.  Maybe...just maybe...it is about being passionate and teaching (through how I live my life with words and deeds) our children that we are called to care for the orphans, widows, and the destitute.  Maybe as we serve soup to the homeless in downtown Houston, our children will be inspired to change the world by sacrificial service.  Instead of worrying about what to do with this feeling of urgency I am experiencing, I need to demonstrate what it means to love others as myself.  Mother Teresa devoted her life to the orphans, widows, and destitute of India and treated each person she encountered as though they were Jesus Christ.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’  They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’  He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”   Matthew 25:31-46

Can you imagine how the church would grow and the number of lost who would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior if we would simply love as Mother Teresa did?

So thank you Jacob (oh wise one) for showing mom that it isn't about me (il n'est pas de moi), but it still must start with me!