You’re adopting how many? Why?
I was a part-time youth pastor at a youth conference in Frankfort, KY with my van full of youth and there were some volunteers there with the organization called Compassion International. Duffy Robbins (hillarious, his site is just his picture…vintage Duffy Robbins) was the speaker at the event, and while I remember him being funny I can’t tell you a thing that he said, but it was an event that changed my life.
I looked through the enormous number of packets on the table, and I can remember saying to God in my head that if there was a child with the same birth date as Shelbi, who was our four year old at the time, then I would take that as a sign to sponsor that child. I looked at every single packet, and found no one matching that description. For some reason I was prompted to ask if they had more packets that were not on the table, and to my surprise they had about 50 more. I asked to look through them, and toward the end as a wave of relief began to come over me that no such child was available I came across Denis Rafael Campo, a little girl from Peru…born the same month…the same day…and the same year as Shelbi. I called Kristi to get permission to make that commitment as she was home with our newborn Baili, and while she wasn’t as moved as I was she confirmed the decision.
Ever since then as our family has grown we have matched a child with our child as they turn 5. I can still remember getting the phone call from Kristi, sobbing, when only months after starting to support a child for Baili she had received word that the child was struck by a car and killed. We were devastated as the reality of the plight of children in the Third World hit home for the first time. Compassion, not knowing our little system, asked if we’d be willing to support another child, and soon a packet for Roodnelson from Haiti arrived and he became our third Compassion child. Then a couple of Christmas’ ago Mallori got to engage with her Compassion child, Emma from Kenya, for whom we’ve been praying to get enough materials to build a house.
As we pray every night before bed our kids are conditioned to pray for Son (Roodnelson’s nickname), Denis, and Emma along with the three children we hope to bring home this year just as if they were ours, theirs.
Three children, three sponsored children, and now three adopted children for whom, God willing, will each have a Compassion Child or Promise Kids Child of their own to write to, pray for, and for whom they can be an agent of hope.
While Compassion International had a lot to do with preparing our hearts for adoption it didn’t start out to be three adopted children, but that is a story I’ll save for another time.
But if you are one of those people, who look at us and wonder aloud, “Why?” Then watch this video. If you’ve been conditioned more by the American culture that makes our comfort and pleasure a priority instead of being conditioned by Christ to make orphans and widows a priority, then watch this video. If you’ve always wanted to be a part of something that REALLY transforms someone elses life, then watch this video.
But be warned, it could change your life. It may haunt you for the rest of it. It may make you look foolish to a whole host of people who will eventually be asking you, “Why?”
This is what I’ll point to when people ask me, “Why?”
Thanks Catalyst for sharing this video!
Deep Breath
Today we went live with not one but two different online classes, and my “Jack of All Trades” title came back and bit me in the rear.
My problem is I love messing around with technology, I love to create and design everything from a house to a website to a T-shirt to a worship service, and I absolutely cannot give up on a deadline.
We had the first one up in time, feel free to check out www.711sessions.com, but due to some crazy video editing problems on one PC we ran into issues on the second one. Can anybody say, “Maybe it’s time to get at least one Mac in the house?”
I also had WordPress issues trying to get comments to show up on a page, and had to make some significant design changes in order to get them to show.
All of this is happening while at the same time I have that 10 page paper on a Psalm still staring me in the face, and my second class begins on Tuesday.
So, now that we’re live, I’m going to drink some milk, take a deep breath, and pray that God give me the strength and time to make it through the next two weeks.
Breathe and Pray…
Pray and Breathe…
God is good,
I am human,
He can,
I can’t,
So be it!
Reflections on: High Altitude Leaders by Warner and Schmincke
Dangerous, unproductive, dysfunctional behavior, termed DUD, can irrevocably damage your organization.
Eight Dangers for Leaders
1. Fear of Death – Don’t let the fear of being let go, losing your job, or someone else losing their job keep you from continuing to climb (great story on a perilous expedition Warner had on K2).
2. Selfishness – This can result in DUD behavior. Whenever someone puts themselves and their prosperity ahead of the team or organization production suffers decreasing by up to 50%. Combat this by inspiring passion through the use of story.
3. Tool Seduction – The best facility, network, parking lot, advertising, lights, cameras, bands does not translate into successful leadership. If somebody uses the lack of tools as a reason for a lack of leadership then they have an adaptation problem. Make adaptability a screening tool when interviewing.
4. Arrogance – Do your employees or you think that you know it all, fail to connect with customer base or fail to recognize competitive threats to the organization? If yes to any of the three, then you have an arrogance problem. Do an exegesis of your congregation and your community needs periodically. Take an occasional poll to determine a series that is 4-6 months away.
5. Lone Heroism – Always be willing to share the load because it’s necessary for succession planning, and improves morale of the team if they share in the success.
6. Cowardice – You must admit you are wrong, or things are going wrong, or things went wrong and why. The fear to do so will cripple organizations
7. Comfort – Change is painful but necessary, and sometimes the change that is necessary causes you to abandon your goal.
8. Gravity – Here the authors say that you have to have a little bit of luck on your side to be able to succeed. In the Church I think we can replace luck with the Will of God. If we are in His Will then who cares if we get burried in an avalanche.