We would be rich if we got just one penny for every time we heard someone say to us, “We could just never do what you do.”
Or “We would love to do something about the orphan crisis; we just don’t know WHAT to do since we know we’re not called to adopt a child in this season of our lives.”
Or “What can we do to make a profound difference in the life of an orphan? Everything we consider seems so small compared to the overwhelming crisis we read about regarding orphans in the world today.”
Just last week I sat at my dining room table with a dear friend. She’s a mama to many beautiful children and has a huge heart that longs to do more for orphans (or any other ministry on her heart).
“Sometimes it just all feels so overwhelming and I don’t know where to even begin, Adéye,” she poured out her heart.
I could completely relate to my friend. On most days I feel so deeply burdened by the things I see and the little faces who stare back at me from my computer screen. On most days I get many pleas for help. "This one is running out of time fast…can you help?" "This one is living on borrowed time…can you help?"
Some days it all feels like one huge nightmare that is spiraling downward fast!
And I fall into my bed late at night begging the Lord for His return once again.
I returned from Bulgaria exactly one month ago feeling completely burdened. Spending two weeks in our children’s separate orphanages there left me feeling like I was standing before all of the sea sand on the planet...and picking up one tiny grain at a time. Yes, we are bringing home these two precious ones. And yes, like the poem about the starfish, it absolutely DOES matter in the lives of these two children.
But I could not help but feel like it wasn’t enough. Like we were desperately failing all the others. The faces of sweet children, who I know I will have to leave behind someday, still haunt me.
I close my eyes, and I see them.
I wonder, “Is he still alive?”
“Is she still walking around with her hands tied behind her back in restraints?”
“Is he still crying inconsolably from sheer pain?”
So often in adoption circles we use a very well-quoted scripture.
In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
I love that Scripture! I have read it hundreds of time. And every time I read it I am reminded, obviously, of how important it is for the body of Christ to be taking care of the weak, the lonely, the hurting, the needy, the widow, the orphan, the destitute, and the downtrodden.
But recently, something different has struck me.
“WHATEVER you did…”
WHATEVER.
The Scripture doesn’t say, “When you have gone and adopted four children with profound special needs…you did it for me.”
Neither does it say, “Once you have gone on two overseas mission trips and made a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of children in a heinous orphanage…then you finally did it for me.”
Nor does Scripture say, “Go out and find fifty hungry people to feed this afternoon, and only then will it be for me.”
No, Jesus made it so simple for us to follow what burned in His heart.
WHATEVER you do…
Whether you ARE called to grow your family through the blessing of adoption and have a multitude of children from all over the world in your home.
Or whether God puts it on your heart to support just one orphan monthly through a relief organization.
Whether God calls you to pack up your entire home and relocate to a Third World country.
Or whether He whispers to your heart, “Do the fostering classes and open your home to one child whom I have already chosen for you.”
Whether God tells us to sell everything we have and give it all to the poor.
Or whether He burdens us to clear out our overflowing closets to help the little girl in school who only has one pair of shoes…
WHATEVER you did...
“You did it for Me!”
How freeing! How amazing to think that just the smallest, least noticeable thing that we do for the sake of expanding the Kingdom of God on earth is HUGE in the eyes of Jesus.
“Whatever” can mean anything….
When we sow our little ten bucks into the offering to benefit an orphanage in Somalia because that is literally all we have to give that month—even when it feels so puny….
That’s our whatever!
When we make a simple meal for a family who has just arrived home with their three adopted blessings—and it feels like nothing by comparison to what they have done for the Lord…
WRONG! That’s our whatever!
I think we live in a culture and a society where the yard stick by which we measure success, wealth, comfort, and sadly, our giving too, is just way too darn high! Everything we have, and everything we do, HAS to constantly be bigger and better. Keeping up with the Joneses has never been as time consuming and costly as it is today.
Just a few days ago, the iPhone 5 came out. I was shocked to see people literally lining up outside stores hours before the big release of the new, more streamlined, slightly lighter phone. Dang! What’s wrong with the 4S that just came out? How in the world can something become a technological dinosaur in a matter of mere months? It’s crazy! Yet, we just have to have it…at any cost.
Sadly, I think we have transferred that bigger and better mentality onto the way we give, the way we help, and the way we measure “success” in ministry. It's a go-big-or-go-home world we live in. For goodness sakes, people leave churches daily because the pastor doesn’t notice their amazing gifting nor give them a platform to make it grow into something ginormous to bless the body of Christ!
Yet, Jesus had twelve.
We dream of the huge house with the expansive yard.
Yet the Son of man had nowhere to lay his head. (Matt 8:20)
We put our five-dollar bill into the hands of a homeless man…feeling ashamed that it was not enough.
“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:42-44)
“WHATEVER you do,” saints!
It breaks my heart when people write to me saying that all they have to give a certain family desperately in need of finances to adopt their child is just five dollars (sometimes even less!). They feel bad that it is all they have and wonder how the Lord can possibly use it! You know what? God loves their five dollars far more than he loves the huge amount of money given out of some sense of obligation! His Word tells us that He loves a cheerful giver!
ALL we are called to do is give and do what God asks of us, and do it cheerfully…nothing more, nothing less!
HE is the multiplier of the money we sow. That’s His business, not ours. All He requires is for us to give what we are able to give, what He puts on our hearts to give…and watch Him grow that small seed into something so beautiful, so amazing!
You just have to read stories in the Bible to know that God wants to use ordinary people who feel like they have nothing to offer to display HIS glory!
It’s NOT about us! It’s all about God using average, less-than-perfect human beings to BE the body of Christ so that HIS glory can shine into the darkest places on the earth.
I have a sweet friend. She is not rich in earthly possessions. She trusts the Lord for her daily bread. But D has found her “whatever.” She makes adorable headbands and photo frames, and she gives them to any adoption auction I tell her about. She longs to help. She wants to do something.
D is making a profound difference! Even though to her, it sometimes feels so little. Her offering is so beautiful to the Lord!
What a deep, world-changing impact we could make on earth if every member of the body of Christ simply did what God puts on their hearts to do.
Whether it is huge…
or tiny.
When every part of a body does what it is supposed to be doing, it just works. Perfectly.
How wonderful would it be if we took our eyes off the world’s standards by which we measure our giving, our doing, our ministries, and our offerings…and simply took what Jesus told us at face value…
“Whatever you do for the least of these, that was me, you did it for Me!”
What’s your “whatever” today?
Mine is to listen carefully to His still, small voice leading and guiding me and whispering to my heart when there is a need…
Even on those days when I feel like I am standing at the ocean picking up just one tiny grain of sand at a time and failing miserably...
Whatever!
40 sweet thoughts from friends:
LOVE this post, Adeye! What a beautiful perspective on Jesus' call on our lives.
"Whatever" is absolutely, positively possible! What a huge encouragement :)
Thank you for sharing this insight! God had planned that I read it right now and be encouraged. Bless you!
Thank you for this beautiful post, Adeye. It really resonates with me. And yes, it would be such a beautiful thing if each of us did whatever God put on our hearts, whether it seemed big or tiny! How exciting to know He works through all things for good and can multiply even the smallest gift.
Colleen
Amen and amen. Thank you for this post.
Adeye, As always. you've touched my heart. Your words, always beautifully written, are exactly how I was feeling today. The way I feel most days. I truly believe with every cell of my being that to give to those in need is what God wishes. And in doing so, God takes care of us. It has never, and I mean NEVER, failed in my life. I have always given, to anyone who had their hand out, be it a fundraiser, or a charity, or a homeless man on the side of the road. Even if it meant I was left with very little. And in doing so, God has reached his hand out to me EVERY time I've needed Him. Sometimes I laugh because when times are hard and money is tight and I need just 'this much' to get by, I can almost always guarantee that I will reach into my mailbox and pull out a check for almost the exact same amount I need, sent by some distant relative solely because they... forgot my birthday... or wanted me to buy my sons something... The money always just appears! And I see it happening for all the RR families who are 'giving' to the least of these. I will never stop believing in the power of giving from the heart.
Thank you Adeye. I feel even more burdened after coming home with our new son from EE a few weeks ago. I lost my job while on our adoption trip. I see so many needs and have even less to give than before. I needed to read this today. I will keep doing my "whatever" and trust God to multiply it.
Beautiful, just beautiful. Especially in those times one might feel what they do or give is so little and insignificant. Thank you for your blog and for all that you do!
Thank you Adeye! My whatever today mattered to 2 girls in an inner city school ... but then I came home & felt bad because I had nothing left to give to help an adopting family. Thank you for helping me see that my whatever mattered plenty today, and there's no need for guilt. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the guilt is from the evil one ... Blessings to your family and a special prayer lifted this evening for your 2 blessings that haven't come home yet!
Thank you Adeye, you have touched my heart & soul this morning.
Love....Jesus shines through you so brightly. Thank for being such a humble servant of our Lord and Savior! :)
Sincerely a sister in Christ Jesus,
Sarah T
Love...Jesus shines through you so brightly. :) God bless you, Adeye!
Sincerely a sister in Christ Jesus,
Sarah T
Thank you for writing this.
Something I struggle with is feeling that I don't ever do enough. The Steven Curtis song "Do Everything" came on the radio...And I get it! Everything we do for His glory, no matter how small it feels. As long as we are continuing to follow those proddings He's placing on our hearts.
Thank you for this post.
Did anyone ever tell you that you need to write a book;) You certainly have the gift of empathy and compassion! How you got into my head and brought peace to my burdened heart can really only be explained by Him! I long to bring home another one of His children. I know it will happen in the time He chooses. In the meantime, there is so much I can do. My whatever matters to Him and really, that is all that matters! Blessings to you! Praying as you wait!!!
Oh. My. Word. Thank You to Jesus, and thank you to you for hearing Him and being faithful to share this with the rest of us. I am SO burdened all the time, because I can't do "enough". We're in the process of adopting a little girl from China. She is an orphan. She has special needs. God has called our family to this amazing journey. But I see ALL these pictures that people post, and I just feel almost guilty that I can't help THIS child or THAT child. It breaks my heart. God has to remind me from time to time (and again today, with your post) that I need to be faithful to that which He's called me to for NOW. Whatever He has for me later, He will show me later.
This might be my favorite post:) It is so important for the body of believers to avoid comparisons of who does what, who does the most, who does what I could never do, etc. It reminds me of the disciples asking Jesus who would sit at his right and left hands in the kingdom of heaven. Also reminds me of hearing Christine Caine preach the same message, essentially, at a women's conference. She addressed an issue I wanted to ask her myself - when she's working to stop the sex trafficking of girls/women through her amazing A21 campaign, how does she continue to speak place after place, see people by the droves moved to tears, then maybe so little practical application in their own lives? She spoke of the idea that God has a blueprint for each one of our lives - it is absolutely unique to each of us. When we are tempted to compare ourselves to others - either too highly or in guilt - we need only ask one question: How am I doing with MY blueprint - that is the only question Jesus will ask of us when we see Him and want Him to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I do, however, have no doubt that part of that blueprint must include the poor, the hungry, the widowed, the orphan, the least of these. I want to be found faithful.
Thank you for your encouragement through your faithfulness and through your words of encouragement.
Adeye, you just freed so many people to do whatever is in their realm of possibility to do and beyond because once we begin where we are, we cross the threshold into the miraculous impossible! I cherish this post! Thank you, thank you so much! What a revelation!
Thank you! Love this post
Wow! LOVE what Christine said! Thanks for sharing.
my random scripture verse on the computer says,
Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world (1John 5:4), when I saw your post, "Whatever", it made me remember this verse. I haven't yet to read your post in detail as I have company, but I will do so tonight.
Your rally cry to those in the church to do their whatever is amazing! If the church all stepped out to help the least of these it would be AMAZING! Thanks for inspiring those of us who are standing ready...I am going to look for MY whatever today!
Thank you and God Bless you and your family! You have helped me with something that I have been battling with inside. And I agree you should write a book! Cara
Thank you SO much. This is exactly what I needed to hear today. What a beautiful gift.
Thank you for encouraging my heart and spirit! I love to feel the life of Jesus flow through His children... like you. We need each other - thank you for opening up and sharing the river of life He has placed in you. It spurs me towards Him and to the river He's placed in me to let life flow from this child of the Most High too! May He encourage your heart as you feel the value of each sand grain you pick up!
What a beautiful and poignant post. Thank you for always speaking in TRUTH. I am one of those people who chooses not to try to keep up with the Jones family. I am always amazed at how people will obsess over material things, yet this is not where our true treasure is. I am a single mom to five and my heart aches to adopt more children. Those doors have been closing for me recently and I believe God is telling me to wait...so wait I will until HE lets me know the time is right to adopt again. Until then, I will have to find a new way to contribute beyond what I already do. The need is so great and my heart is also so very burdened for those faces staring back from the computer screen and the memories of those left behind.....
Ah you should read the life of Therese of Liseux and her little way of love. The same ideology. What is important is to do everything with love.
Thanks! I will definitely do that!
That was beautiful! You are a wonderful messenger :) I struggle with what is enough as I think we all do. That's the problem. So many of us feel "capable" of giving more, and "selfishly" do not. Financially, or otherwise. Maybe we need to embrace that "whatever" that we do. Guilt is a tricky thing tho. I'm not one to placate myself and want to be challenged to do more. It can definitely feel overwhelming to balance. Your words are a comfort.
Sometimes the small things are the hardest to do because we feel silly, like we are "playing" ministry the way we played house as little girls. But in reality the small things are like a line on a canvas. The line alone feels like nothing, but then as led we draw another line and another. At some point we step back and realize we have been led my a Master Artist to create something beautiful.
Love you my friend!
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something: Yet, just because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can!
Helen Keller
Thanks! I think you wrote this one for me :)
Absolutely LOVE!
LOVE you too!
Beautiful. I'm glad I recently came across your blog and I am especially glad for today's post. I have been weary lately from certain rhetoric among those who's hearts are in the right place (advocating for orphans) but come across as religious bullies when they deem others not 'doing enough' for their cause. God is always on their side and He always agrees with their definition of 'doing enough'. For those of us who have been a part of the adoption community for any length of time, we will at times cross paths with this group, usually found among the Social Justice Christians (not all) who have this tendancy to shame others for not doing enough, AS THEY DEFINE 'ENOUGH'. "GOD WANTS EVERY ORPHAN IN A FAMILY AND YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS OR YOU ARE NOT HEARING FROM GOD AND OBEYING HIM" is their rally cry, which leaves the rest of us feeling like we can NEVER do enough. Yours is a voice of balance and SEEKING GOD for what HE wants you to do; of grace, to have the courage to be a blessing in WHATEVER you do EVEN IF IT WON'T MAKE THE FRONT PAGE NEWS. Thank you. My intent is not to criticize those caught up in this other side, rather to applaud YOU, but I did need to make a comparision, so you would understand just how important this post of yours is, as a voice which, though meek like our Savior Whom we are doing this for, IS POWERFUL! Blessings to you.
Great post! "Whatever" we all do, adds up and God multiplies!
THANK-YOU! Just what I needed to hear. It applies to so many parts of life. THANK-YOU!
Thank you Adeye. This is beautiful and educational...you continue to touch lives so wonderfully.
Adeye,
Thank you for this beautiful post. I also feel burdened and feel that the needs are so overwhelming. I think as a church we often have the mindset of "keeping up with the Joneses." How freeing to think we just pursue what God has called us to do. We don't need to compete with anyone.
Also, when I see all the faces of kids online, it gives me peace to think that although I am not in a place where I can adopt those children, God has called other people to do that. That is their "whatever."
God has really used this post to speak to me. I homeschool my 2 kids, one of which has mild CP, but I often feel like I am not doing enough. I am a Physical Therapist by training, but left my job to be home with my kids. I often feel like back then I did a lot to help kids with special needs and in foster care and now I feel like I don't do much at all and I have been burdened with that. This post has made me realize it doesn't have to be something huge. I just need to do my 'whatever' to help the orphans of this world. I know we aren't called to adopt, but I did go to Reece's Rainbow and read about their Angel Tree program and I am going to start by helping there. I told my 17 year old daughter about it and she found a child that she wants to send some money to for his adoption fund. So again thank you for your thought provoking post.
What a beautiful post dear one.
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