Giving the Best

Kevin, Abby and I just returned from visiting family in Alabama and Texas.  While we were in Alabama Abby was able to visit with a cousin of hers.  She had such a fun time.  Her cousin gave Abigail a bag of dress up clothes to take home  with her.  When Abigail saw the clothes she thought her cousin was so sweet and she said, "I have something for you too."  She then started searching through her things to find something she could part with to give to her cousin.  She proceeded to pull out her very special princess coloring book/sticker book that I bought her for the trip.  Out of my amazement Abigail gave it to her. 

This is how I feel about many of my dear friends this week and their amazing sacrificail gifts to help us bring home an orphan. 

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  In the midst of a very severe trail, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.  Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people and they exceeded our expectations; They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. "  2 Corinthians 8:1-5


This last week we have been so blessed by our church and by friends from our home churches.  I am so excited to see how God has been working in the lives of people to not only give out of their comfort but out of pain as well.  This has been an economically challanging time for so many and for the life of our church as well, and still there have been so many give until it was painful for them. 

When we started going to informational meetings about adoption we thought to ourselves that this was a rediculous amount of money.  We have spent most of our adult life in ministry and having to live so tightly. But Kevin said Jesus paid the ultimate price to give us our heavenly father.  What is this chunk of money to us?    People go to a car lot and make a descision to take home a car for that amount of money. 

I was joking with a friend tonight that there are people with stock in our child.  I hope that is true.  I hope that those who give know that there is a child that is one day going to know just how deep the love of God is through His people and that there was an entire group of his beleivers that worked so hard to rescue them from an orphaned life. 

We have now raised $2900!  Half way to our first goal!  God is good.