Thoughts on Treasure
We have been drawn to the Gospel of Matthew again and again in the last month since starting this process to adopt Toby. Perhaps it is because Matthew 13:44 has become such a poignant verse for us as we see our Toby like the treasure in a field that is the image of God's Kingdom. Adoption is a beautiful picture of what God's Kingdom on earth is all about.
But words in Matthew chapter 6 keep pulling at my heart. Familiar words that we've read many times, but now seen in with a new perspective in the light of adoption.
Josh and I have long ago decided to not be devoted to money. God has always provided just enough for our family and in the lean times, He has drawn us so close to Him in new ways, that we count it as a gift. We do not make money - the collecting of it, the saving of it, the spending of it - any kind of goal or desire in our family. We know God's Word is true: if you serve money and live for it, you cannot serve and live for God. We choose God.
So...this adoption process has been challenging in one way in particular. We are having to think about money A LOT. It isn't pleasant. We know God has called us to go bring Toby home and we know He will provide. But He is also calling us to examine our own lives in this. What expenses can we cut? What material items that have no eternal value can we sell? What extras can we live without? We have abundance - as most American families do. The paring down part is not the hard part. The constant thinking of money is.
So some people ask why we would commit to this when we do not have the $25,000+ to go through with it on our own. Why would we do this when Josh just got a new job and we are getting on our feet as a family? Isn't it awkward to ask people for money for this? Here are our responses to those kinds of questions:
1) God has called us to do this. We did not plan this right now, but where He calls, He is faithful to provide and guide. His calling is unmistakable in this and we have never wavered from it.
2) Have you ever seen families adopt who could just write a $25,000 check without blinking an eye? Rarely. Why is that? Those people clearly have the money to take on an international adoption, but they don't. (Answer: Refer back to Matthew 6:24.)
3) Fundraising is not just asking people to give you money for some extravagant big item purchase. This is about a child. A child who will continue to languish in an orphanage with no sense of real love or hope, until he ages out and lives on the streets. This is about one of millions of children who need to be rescued. Each one of them created in God's image and having worth beyond measure. This isn't a car or a yacht or a vacation we are asking money for - this is a LIFE!
4) "Why would you do this when you don't have the money in the first place?" We clearly have the means to support another child in our family. Josh has a good job, we have medical insurance, we have food and shelter. We (and many other families) are able to provide for another child, it is just the enormous adoption expenses that we don't have. In a world where credit cards reign supreme and people rarely understand the concept of delayed gratification, I don't even think this point is valid.
5) When we fundraise, we aren't simply asking people to hand over a check. We are asking them to be part of this. To be part of bringing Toby home. To be invested in his life and in the life of our family. And we know God will spill over the spiritual blessings of this journey into the hearts of those who have chosen to be a part. Others will miss out. That is okay! God will provide!
6) "Why does it have to be so expensive anyway?" A common question. There is so...much...paperwork involved in making sure everything is done legitimately. I never understood it all until we were in the middle of it. So much of the upfront costs - thousands of dollars - go toward verifying the paperwork and legitimacy of this adoption. The other costs are airfare, in country expenses, facilitator fees, Toby's medical exam/visa/passport expedite costs, etc. Every dollar goes toward something legitimate and to pay the amazing facilitator team in country who works so hard for these American families.
Yesterday, after seeing our Reece's Rainbow Family Support Program Grant sit at $10.67 for over a month, we had two generous donations from dear friends that encouraged our hearts so much. God has provided every dollar amount that we've needed for all of the upfront paperwork costs. We have everything completed on our end and are waiting for our home study to be completed and immigration paperwork to be approved. Once that is done and sent over, we wait for acceptance and travel dates! Now, every dollar we raise will go toward our actual journey to bring Toby home.
Another verse in Matthew 6 has become dear to us in a new way, too.
But words in Matthew chapter 6 keep pulling at my heart. Familiar words that we've read many times, but now seen in with a new perspective in the light of adoption.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Matthew 6:24
Josh and I have long ago decided to not be devoted to money. God has always provided just enough for our family and in the lean times, He has drawn us so close to Him in new ways, that we count it as a gift. We do not make money - the collecting of it, the saving of it, the spending of it - any kind of goal or desire in our family. We know God's Word is true: if you serve money and live for it, you cannot serve and live for God. We choose God.
So...this adoption process has been challenging in one way in particular. We are having to think about money A LOT. It isn't pleasant. We know God has called us to go bring Toby home and we know He will provide. But He is also calling us to examine our own lives in this. What expenses can we cut? What material items that have no eternal value can we sell? What extras can we live without? We have abundance - as most American families do. The paring down part is not the hard part. The constant thinking of money is.
So some people ask why we would commit to this when we do not have the $25,000+ to go through with it on our own. Why would we do this when Josh just got a new job and we are getting on our feet as a family? Isn't it awkward to ask people for money for this? Here are our responses to those kinds of questions:
1) God has called us to do this. We did not plan this right now, but where He calls, He is faithful to provide and guide. His calling is unmistakable in this and we have never wavered from it.
2) Have you ever seen families adopt who could just write a $25,000 check without blinking an eye? Rarely. Why is that? Those people clearly have the money to take on an international adoption, but they don't. (Answer: Refer back to Matthew 6:24.)
3) Fundraising is not just asking people to give you money for some extravagant big item purchase. This is about a child. A child who will continue to languish in an orphanage with no sense of real love or hope, until he ages out and lives on the streets. This is about one of millions of children who need to be rescued. Each one of them created in God's image and having worth beyond measure. This isn't a car or a yacht or a vacation we are asking money for - this is a LIFE!
4) "Why would you do this when you don't have the money in the first place?" We clearly have the means to support another child in our family. Josh has a good job, we have medical insurance, we have food and shelter. We (and many other families) are able to provide for another child, it is just the enormous adoption expenses that we don't have. In a world where credit cards reign supreme and people rarely understand the concept of delayed gratification, I don't even think this point is valid.
5) When we fundraise, we aren't simply asking people to hand over a check. We are asking them to be part of this. To be part of bringing Toby home. To be invested in his life and in the life of our family. And we know God will spill over the spiritual blessings of this journey into the hearts of those who have chosen to be a part. Others will miss out. That is okay! God will provide!
6) "Why does it have to be so expensive anyway?" A common question. There is so...much...paperwork involved in making sure everything is done legitimately. I never understood it all until we were in the middle of it. So much of the upfront costs - thousands of dollars - go toward verifying the paperwork and legitimacy of this adoption. The other costs are airfare, in country expenses, facilitator fees, Toby's medical exam/visa/passport expedite costs, etc. Every dollar goes toward something legitimate and to pay the amazing facilitator team in country who works so hard for these American families.
Yesterday, after seeing our Reece's Rainbow Family Support Program Grant sit at $10.67 for over a month, we had two generous donations from dear friends that encouraged our hearts so much. God has provided every dollar amount that we've needed for all of the upfront paperwork costs. We have everything completed on our end and are waiting for our home study to be completed and immigration paperwork to be approved. Once that is done and sent over, we wait for acceptance and travel dates! Now, every dollar we raise will go toward our actual journey to bring Toby home.
Another verse in Matthew 6 has become dear to us in a new way, too.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
We have already seen such generous hearts give up some of their own treasure for Toby, because they realize the eternal significance of this. We are so grateful and we can see God moving in huge ways.
We have also been broken wide open to the world of adoption, especially of kids with special needs. Being part of the Facebook circles of other adoptive families, hearing their stories, seeing all the children who are still waiting....it has had a dramatic affect on our hearts. We are seeing so many examples of families "laying up their treasures in heaven", foregoing earthly comforts and ease to take on the forever care of children with sometimes severe medical/mental issues. That is the Gospel in flesh and blood. That is what it means to care for the "least of these". It is the most beautiful thing we have ever been witness to.
Toby is our treasure - the one God placed in a field for us to find, to show us the importance of "selling all" for that treasure, which truly represents His Kingdom and His heart.
But there are so many other treasures, waiting to be found!!!
So many others waiting for a home - so many who have pulled on our hearts and driven us to our knees in prayer for them and for their forever families to find them!
Marv who has been waiting for such a long time for a family:
Ricky whose birth mama died and left him an orphan; who longs for a family and is getting closer to aging out of the system:
Alex who has a sweet and gentle spirit and will age out in December:
Porter who has been transferred to a bleak mental institution, is in desperate need of a family, love and medical care and who already has $15,000 raised toward his adoption:
Charlie who is in the same orphanage as Toby and is sweet and kind and generous and smart:
Ben who has had a team of missionary warriors feeding him peanut butter and coconut oil and other things to help his little body thrive - who needs a family to love and care for him:
Jackson who has been transferred to the same bleak facility as Porter, and will certainly die there if he does not get the love and care of a family.
Or maybe read about some other Lost Boys who need prayer warriors, support and most importantly, FAMILIES! And to give you a glimpse into the joy and blessings that overflow when a lost boy is found, take a moment to read the story of Bey and the Hartman Family. You will not be the same!
Friends - these faces are the treasures God is talking about in His Word. The process of seeing a family give everything they have to take one of these precious boys into their families and lives is seeing God's heart for us in action.
We have a lot of fundraising to do before we get to bring Toby home. We cherish your participation with us in this journey! But there are so many boys (and girls) left in institutions waiting for a family. Please pray about how you might be involved. Adopting. Giving to their grants. Supporting other adoptive families. Every bit helps.
There are so many treasures waiting to be found! Each of those faces and stories is worth so much more than a $25,000 price tag.
So excited you are getting "Toby". A family that lives near us is flying out soon for one of his classmates. So happy these kids have a family. We are blessed with two special teens from U. - and look forward to praying you through your journey and seeing all that God does for you. Don't worry - my husband lost his job 3 months before we went to U. (two years ago) and God provided above and beyond all that we could ask. Blessings, Val Deutsch
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your prayers!! It has moved us so much to see how our sweet Toby has been surrounded by prayer already. God is doing amazing things through this already and we give Him the glory! We look forward to sharing the rest of this story with you!
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