Sacrifice?

Two months ago today, we agreed with God that we would adopt D and V. We knew that God was calling us to adopt. We had even filled out all of the paperwork to turn in for a domestic adoption. We were a little overwhelmed, though, to learn that the children God was placing in our care weren't from around here. We were even more overwhelmed when we heard that the cost for adopting a child from Russia is about $45,000. And He wants us to adopt 2! That is way more than we make in a year. It's more than we have even when we clear our savings, borrow everything that our retirement account will allow us to borrow and get a second mortgage on our house. Wait just a minute! We just eliminated all of our debt except for our house payment. Are we really willing to live under that kind of debt for these two children, one of whom we have never even met? Are we willing to make sacrifices to feed and clothe them? Are we willing to require our other two children to make sacrifices? Are they really sacrifices if we are doing what God has called us to do? We are talking about the God of the Universe, the one who loves us beyond any measure, the one who has our aboslute best constantly on His mind.

Many years ago a friend shared a story that I'm going to try to find. Sorry I don't know the source at this moment. I'll let you know when I find it. The part that stuck in my mind was talking about a diet to lose weight. We often think we are sacrificing when we give up the foods we like. In actuality, we are really sacrificing when we eat the unhealthy foods. We are sacrificing our weight, our immune system, our length of life, our ability to feel good. We are sacrificing what is best for us.

When I apply that to this situation, being disobedient to this call would be the real sacrifice. In being disobedient we would be sacrificing dependence on God rather than on ourselves. We would sacrifice our children learning to freely give what God has provided. We would sacrifice being part of what God is doing to care for His children. The real sacrifice of being disobedient would be the wedge that we would drive between us and our God. So are we willing to sacrifice? NO Are we willing to be obedient to God and do what it takes to get D & V home? Absolutely, YES. That's no sacrifice at all.