when it's personal

hard things happen all over the world. but when they happen close to home, the simple truth is that it affects you more. maybe it shouldn't, but for most people, that's just the way it is. so here's the deal...

my daughter was an orphan. nevermind that before the idea of us adopting ever entered my consciousness the bible had beckoned me (and all reading it) to care for the needs of the orphan and the widow. over and over again. but god specifically moved us to respond in a certain way to that call in 2008. to adopt. and he led us to adopt from ethiopia.

and so there are two things i take very personally now. the plight of the orphan (though it should have been personal all along) and what happens in the country of ethiopia. ethiopia is a part of us. forever. it is my daughter's homeland. her heritage. therefore our family will always be tied to it. it is part of our HOME. i've been there. i've seen the faces. and one of those beautiful faces naps upstairs as i write this. that face, along with all the others, motivates me to keep on writing this post.

if you are reading this and are unfamiliar with what is happening in the world of adoption regarding ethiopia, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. basically, there have been abuses related to international adoption in ethiopia. it makes me sick. but i know it's happened in other countries and it has been happening in the one that's closest in my heart. in part to deal with these issues, the ethiopian government is reducing the number of adoption cases they deal with by 90%. though it is very good for the country to seek an answer to these abuses, it means that children who are waiting for a family, children who are medically fragile, children who are in NEED may end up waiting and waiting and waiting to either be matched with a family or be united with the families waiting for them.

my heart goes out to families who are waiting for children. less than two years ago, i was one of them. i know how this news would be so heartbreaking. but my utmost concern is for those children. those faces, like the one napping upstairs. about 5 million faces like hers. the answer for all of them is not international adoption. but for those who it is an answer, a good and right and pure option. what about them?

you can sign a petition TODAY asking the ethiopian government to consider other options to resolve the current crisis. there is something we can do about this. please click here.

for whatever reason, i don't see myself as much of an advocate. my passion in life is pretty basic, plain and simple: to love. but sometimes (maybe all the time?), they are really just one and the same.

i think now is definitely one of those times.