- 10/30/2007 4:40:34 PMKids and PotatoesI like potatoes. I like carrots and I like onions. There is a place just north of our house called "The Muck Farm". They sell potatoes, carrots and onions in bulk at this time of year. You can get a 50# bag of red potatoes for $7.00. The carrots and onions are also a good deal if you are prepared to store a lot of them. Last year we purchased a large bag of each and ate off of them all winter.
I've always been drawn to bulk purchase items. When I was a boy, I built a bird feeder and hung it from the eve of our house. I went to Fleet Farm for some seeds and found a 50# bag for $2.99. I remember thinking, "WOW! That is a deal!". How could I not purchase such a large bag for such a low price. It might take me a while to get through it but you just cannot beat a deal like that.
As of today, the estimated cost of adopting Yuri is around $49,500. There was another young boy named Alex that came with Yuri on the Lighthouse trip. The family that hosted him has decided not to pursue adopting him. I don't know why. I was told, "he really wants to be adopted". Since I'm an analytical kind of person, I'm thinking, "what kid in the orphanage doesn't want to be adopted?". I read about his background story and it is heart wrenching. I am certain there are millions of kids like him with a similar story.
There is a parable about a kid who is walking along the beach one day and comes across a star fish drying out in the sand. "Surely it will die", he concludes. So the kid picks up the star fish and throws it back into the sea. A passerby sees this and comments, "why did you do that?" The kid replies, "because he was going to die."
Here comes the clincher...
So the passerby says to the kid, "Do you know how many starfish are on the beach that are going to die? You haven't even made a difference in solving the problem." The kid says, "I made a difference to that one".
Next week in our church we are having missionary conference. A missionary speaker from Russia is coming to visit for the whole week. We have set aside a day to have lunch with him and pick his brain while he tells us of the state of Christianity in the Soviet Union. As we prepare for this, Pastor Kuhn has been giving his sermons with a missionary tone. One of the things he said was that there has been a major shift in the way the church sees the Great Commission.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The book, "The Purpose Driven Life" in some ways has hit on the change in thinking in recent years in the church as to the meaning of the great commission. It has gone from being a mission of creating disciples to one of benevolence. The statement, "You cannot preach to a man who has an empty stomach" reflects the mentality that we are to minister to people and their present condition before we can minister to their eternal spirit.
There was a time when the Salvation Army and the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) were Christian outreach organizations. Today however, you never hear of any soul saving activities coming from either.
Getting back to the potatoes... Yuri's adoption is going to cost around $49,500 - which is a lot of money. We can tack on the cost of adopting Alex for another $10,500 or so. My employer may kick in $4,000 of that which brings the additional cost of adopting Alex to around $6,500. Some quick math brings that to a total of $56,000 or $28,000 for each child. Looking at it that way, it seems like a bargain. But then again, kids aren't potatoes.
When I think of the price that Jesus paid to do the Father's will, I am reminded that it cost Him (Jesus) everything to do what needed to be done. I worry about what will happen when we bring Yuri into our home. We already have kids and the family chemistry that currently exists will change. We have swallowed that and are prepared for the change. What would bringing two new kids into the family do? Is it selfish for me to think that way?
Even in the middle of doing something that is good, there is selfishness. "How much am I willing to give?"
You know, when the Titanic sank there were life boats for the people on board. The problem is that there weren't enough of them. But there was another problem: the life boats that were used were under filled. They could have held more people. But even a life boat has a physical limit. If you were on a life boat and you wanted to help the people in the water, you would start pulling them in. Ultimately, the boat would become full and you would reach a point where you are risking the lives of the other people in the boat if you attempt to pull one more person in.
Here is my point... what is the capacity of my home? Not it's physical capacity or square footage. I mean, "how many children can I actively raise at one given point in time?" Am I putting the rest of the family at risk?
What if I say, "no" we are not going to go after Alex. Yuri is enough for now. We'll revisit adopting a 2nd child later after the Lord has stretched us and we've settled in to our new comfort zone. Have I sentenced Alex to a life of doom? It seems like I've asked myself that question before... Someone else may adopt Alex and he could be a blessing to that home.
What if I say, "yes" we will adopt him and we become over burdened? What if he is a huge blessing to our family?
I don't want to make this decision out of guilt over Alex's condition. However, guilt is a good motivator but it can sometimes get you into a mess you weren't ready for. On the other hand, I don't want any regrets either.
My waffling reminds me of Tevia from Fiddler on the roof, "... but on the other hand..."
Lord,
let's pretend for a moment that I am as dumb as a sheep. Please send a clear answer on this. Clear like a rock hitting my head.
