Not Rotten Vegetables

Yesterday, as I stood in line at the Manna 4u food bank, I noticed the box of rotten vegetables just under the first table. It was mostly sweet potatoes and a few severely wrinkled oranges. Basically, someone had sorted through the produce a head of time and picked out everything that was too far gone.

As I got closer and started looking through the produce myself, picking a few things for my family, I noticed an egg plant in the corner. I thought to myself...'that will be down there with the sweet potatoes soon.' Then I thought, 'if someone would have seen the potential of that egg plant two days ago, it wouldn't have gone to waste. Now, it will sit on the table getting a few seconds older with every person that walks by, until it get tossed into the rotten vegetable box.'

That was all the more thought I gave the vegetables at that point. But later on in the day, God spoke to me saying, "Children are not rotten vegetables."

What a shock to suddenly hear this from the Lord in the middle of my day. God has already told Quentin and I that we will adopt someday in the future. As we began to pray about adoption, we heard two things. The first was...older children. We think we will adopt older children (teenagers) from the United States. We have also heard from the Lord that Oliver will alway be our oldest child. Since Oliver is currently 4, that means it will be several years before we adopt. That makes a lot of sense considering we are 25 years old, we currently have a 4 year old and twin 2 year olds and, like I mentioned before...I'm doing my grocery shopping at the local food bank. But this is a season, and God is going to bring us into a new season soon. One where we can give more and eventually one where we have room for more children.

I spent some time looking through the pictures and profiles of American children awaiting adoption today on this site and this one. ( just let me clarify that I don't really know anything about these sites, so if you're looking to adopt, I don't necessarily recommend these agencies. You'll have to check them out for yourself) Go ahead, take a look at these children. Imagine what their lives are like...then imagine what they could be like if they got the one thing the wanted most...a family.

I have heard people say things like, 'I'd rather adopt a baby, that way he/she isn't messed up when we get them' or 'What if we get an older child and they are a bad influence on my other children' or 'I'd rather not have to deal with all the baggage that comes with a teenager, so we'll adopt a little one.'

Human beings are Not Rotten Vegetables. We do not have expiration dates. None of these children...even the 17 and 18 year olds...are too far gone. They are made in the image of God and are His choice possession. And yet, so many children are being passed by, getting one day older and less likely to ever be adopted. Its time to step it up, Church! We can not let these children get tossed into the garbage.

I am not saying that everyone should adopt...or that everyone who adopts should adopt an older child. Many woman are on their way to an abortion clinic, who would turn back and decide to put their baby up for adoption, if they knew a loving family who would care for her and later the baby.

There are many reasons not to adopt. I have some myself right now. But there is one very good reason to adopt. God says to! James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of {our} God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, {and} to keep oneself unstained by the world.

That word visit means 1) to look after, have care for, provide for: of God that sounds like adoption to me.