My heart is full. Full of grief and anger, among other things. And full of HOPE. It's difficult to put into words this understanding that is beginning to emerge in my heart regarding justice. Seven years ago, my husband and I had our hearts broken for the orphaned girls of China. The more we researched, the more overwhelmed we got. It wasn't just a few thousand girls and it wasn't just China. There were orphans everywhere. A common statistic that is thrown around is 147 million orphans on our earth right now. No one knows the real number. And often, numbers don't mean anything to us if we can't relate to them. If you stop for a whole minute and meditate on that number - 147 million - can you get a grip on that as it applies to children living on our planet alone? I can't. Until I see them, touch them, hold them and look into their eyes, it is really just a number. We began praying fervently at that time for the Church in America - and later, as more understanding came to us - for the Church all over the globe to WAKE UP. Why in the world were there this many children without parents, growing up alone and vulnerable in the world while the Church slept?
Over the past 7 years, we have seen an answer to our prayers. Many organizations have sprung up during this time, many individuals have answered God's call, and many pastors have become passionate and instrumental in leading their congregations to respond to the cause of the orphan. We have a long way to go as a Church in understanding the James 1:27 mandate to care for orphans, but we have come a LONG way. As our involvement through prayer, awareness, and advocacy has continued, we came to understand the adoption/orphan tie as it relates to abortion. Randy Bohlender, founder of the Zoe Foundation, was instrumental to our understanding of the fact that most likely God has not answered our cries to end abortion because, as a Church, we are not prepared to be the alternative. Until Christians are fully aware and ready to parent not only the children who are on the earth without parents already, but also the additional 1.2 million children per year that would be in need of parents in the U.S. alone if abortion ended, we will not see the ending of abortion. Clearly, the orphan issue as it relates to the global Church and abortion are inextricably tied together. They cannot be separated.
More recently, we are starting to put another piece of this puzzle in place. Human trafficking is an issue that has been on our hearts for a long time. In fact, this is a deeply personal issue for me, which I hope to elaborate on someday. Until recently though, my mind held the two issues apart: orphans and trafficking. But just like adoption and abortion are inextricably intertwined, so are orphans and the trafficking issue.
As Christ continues to reveal His heart towards His precious children, I truly believe He has chosen this season for His Church to see a new facet of the same issue - the issue of human trafficking - as it relates to His children. Daily, Christians, who once camped in a place of safety, not wanting to acknowledge the depth of evil for what it is, are waking up to this reality. Many are having their eyes, ears, and hearts opened to the reality that most orphans who age out of orphanages will face. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today, after drugs and arms. There are statistics all over the internet, but you can take a look here to get a start. A child who is not adopted will eventually be trafficked, with rare exception. When I say "trafficked" I am referring to what Exodus Cry defines as an "exploitation of vulnerability" where children are forced into labor, war or prostitution against their will.
I truly believe that in order to combat any one of these three justice issues burning on the heart of God - abortion, orphans, and human trafficking - we will have to take a holistic approach and begin to treat these issues not separately, but together, as one massive issue. If I dwell here long enough, other issues start swirling in my mind also. Poverty. Disease. An overall spiritual depravity that has set the stage for it all. It's overwhelming to try to pick it apart. But to the Lord it is all simple. We must remain child-like in our approach to justice, doing the one thing in front of us at any given time. Ultimately, Christ will return to the earth to bring justice to the oppressed. With each passing day, I can hear the distant thunder growing just a bit louder. He is coming and "In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged til He establishes justice on earth." (Isa. 42: 3-4) One day indeed "He will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all nations, and all the ends of the earth will see His salvation." (Isa. 52:10). Until then, it is our job to say to those with fearful hearts: "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." (Isa 35:4).
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Woman in the Dirt
I seem to have a new friend. I don't know her name. I know that sounds strange. I find myself thinking of her often, throughout the day. When I'm frustrated with my messy house, suddenly I see my friend in hers and I repent. My house is spacious and has running water, and heat. My friend lives in a small hut the size of my childrens' bathroom with a dirt floor. My house is cluttered with all the things she and her children do not have. When I complain about having a headache, I remember my friend, and I repent. She is burning with fever and though she feels like lying in bed all day, she gets up and walks two miles to get dirty water for her family. Today when I felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities that come with five children and all their needs, I remembered my friend and I repented. My husband will help shoulder all that I carry this week in taking care of our five children, but my friend will care alone for many more, in spite of her health and lack of resource. I could go on...when I am frustrated by our "lack" of resources, when I "can't" find clean clothes for everyone to wear because I haven't used my washing machine to wash them, when I don't know what to make for dinner because there's "no food" in the house because I haven't had time to drive to the grocery store and swipe my check card for a basket load of groceries........but you get the idea.
I can't explain it. She's just there, constantly in my thoughts. Don't get the idea that I've finally gone off my rocker (that happened a long time ago). She doesn't talk to me and she is not imaginary. In fact, she is quite real. She is God's gift to me - a constant reminder. Not a reminder to be thankful for what I have because I am so "blessed". I am thankful, and I should be. No, she is a constant reminder to me of Luke 12:48. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I've said it before. I wasn't born into a wealthy nation and given a home and a family and two cars and an education and great medical care and clean water and food in abundance because God loves me more than He loves HER. I also don't think I just won some kind of heavenly lottery, making me the one who happened to be holding this ticket, while SHE held hers. Let's face it. I honestly believe that for whatever reason, God chose my life for me as a test of my heart. My friend loves Jesus purely. He is her hope and her joy. Period. Do I love Jesus like that? Or am I distracted by the very things I call "blessing." I truly believe that I must find a different definition of blessing, because it is not these material comforts that distract me and tempt me to divert my gaze from a simple and pure-hearted devotion to Christ. I'm not ungrateful, but let's face it...maybe some days I am a little too grateful for these "blessings" because I don't wish to live like HER.
He told us in Matt. 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So these material comforts I call "blessings" actually qualify as earthly treasures and I am clearly instructed (DO NOT) not to store them up for myself here on earth. In other words, my focus is all wrong when I count my material comforts as "blessings" and even more wrong when I'm tempted to spend any time pursuing them or saving them for later. There is something else there. Something I'm totally missing. The treasures of heaven. They don't look like my nice suburban house, my cars, my food, my bank account, my clean water....
So where are these treasures? What is it that I am to count worthy of spending my time saving and investing my thoughts and heart into? I don't have to look far for my answer. I only have to look outside my bubble and look at HER. She is an African woman, dying of AIDS, with 8 children who wakes up every day wondering who will care for her children once she is gone. I don't know her name, only that there are thousands upon thousands like her. From my vantage point, she lives in a dark place. She lives "there" in one of those places where I don't like to go in my head because I am confronted with these questions that swirl through my heart. In my way of seeing the world, her place is dark, hopeless. And there are many others who live in that same dark place....children being sold for sex, millions of them. Babies lying hopeless in cold, dark, damp orphanages in Eastern Europe. A little girl growing up in my daughter's old orphanage in China....except now she is being "fostered" by abusive parents and will NEVER be adopted or know love on this earth....that one hits a little too close to home. Why did my daughter get picked? Is she blessed? What about the other little girl - Is she NOT blessed? I have to admit that I can spend days or even weeks musing over these things and have no ability to express them or even come up with a clue about why my mind keeps finding itself there. But then, the clouds clear and a little light breaks through. And this is what I see: "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." (Isa. 45) That's it. That's where the treasure is. In the dark places. And He will give this treasure to me so that I will know He is God. But I have to be willing to go to the dark places to find it. In the end, what is the "much more" that is asked of ME? It's choosing to go to the dark places. SHE doesn't have to go out of her way for that....SHE is already there.
I can't explain it. She's just there, constantly in my thoughts. Don't get the idea that I've finally gone off my rocker (that happened a long time ago). She doesn't talk to me and she is not imaginary. In fact, she is quite real. She is God's gift to me - a constant reminder. Not a reminder to be thankful for what I have because I am so "blessed". I am thankful, and I should be. No, she is a constant reminder to me of Luke 12:48. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I've said it before. I wasn't born into a wealthy nation and given a home and a family and two cars and an education and great medical care and clean water and food in abundance because God loves me more than He loves HER. I also don't think I just won some kind of heavenly lottery, making me the one who happened to be holding this ticket, while SHE held hers. Let's face it. I honestly believe that for whatever reason, God chose my life for me as a test of my heart. My friend loves Jesus purely. He is her hope and her joy. Period. Do I love Jesus like that? Or am I distracted by the very things I call "blessing." I truly believe that I must find a different definition of blessing, because it is not these material comforts that distract me and tempt me to divert my gaze from a simple and pure-hearted devotion to Christ. I'm not ungrateful, but let's face it...maybe some days I am a little too grateful for these "blessings" because I don't wish to live like HER.
He told us in Matt. 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So these material comforts I call "blessings" actually qualify as earthly treasures and I am clearly instructed (DO NOT) not to store them up for myself here on earth. In other words, my focus is all wrong when I count my material comforts as "blessings" and even more wrong when I'm tempted to spend any time pursuing them or saving them for later. There is something else there. Something I'm totally missing. The treasures of heaven. They don't look like my nice suburban house, my cars, my food, my bank account, my clean water....
So where are these treasures? What is it that I am to count worthy of spending my time saving and investing my thoughts and heart into? I don't have to look far for my answer. I only have to look outside my bubble and look at HER. She is an African woman, dying of AIDS, with 8 children who wakes up every day wondering who will care for her children once she is gone. I don't know her name, only that there are thousands upon thousands like her. From my vantage point, she lives in a dark place. She lives "there" in one of those places where I don't like to go in my head because I am confronted with these questions that swirl through my heart. In my way of seeing the world, her place is dark, hopeless. And there are many others who live in that same dark place....children being sold for sex, millions of them. Babies lying hopeless in cold, dark, damp orphanages in Eastern Europe. A little girl growing up in my daughter's old orphanage in China....except now she is being "fostered" by abusive parents and will NEVER be adopted or know love on this earth....that one hits a little too close to home. Why did my daughter get picked? Is she blessed? What about the other little girl - Is she NOT blessed? I have to admit that I can spend days or even weeks musing over these things and have no ability to express them or even come up with a clue about why my mind keeps finding itself there. But then, the clouds clear and a little light breaks through. And this is what I see: "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." (Isa. 45) That's it. That's where the treasure is. In the dark places. And He will give this treasure to me so that I will know He is God. But I have to be willing to go to the dark places to find it. In the end, what is the "much more" that is asked of ME? It's choosing to go to the dark places. SHE doesn't have to go out of her way for that....SHE is already there.
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