If you were at our church on Orphan Sunday, you were moved. No, I haven't talked to each and every one of you, but unless you literally fell into an Adam-type sleep, then you were moved. It started at the beginning of the service when the Removed video was broken up and shown in several pieces. I've seen the video. I've shared the video. I've even shown the video to a group of women I was talking to one morning. But I was still in the pew doing the ugly cry. At one point, J. O. looked at me and said, "they're going to move her again aren't they?" and all I could get out was, "no, her brother is here!!" It's moving, it's heartbreaking and if most of us will be honest with ourselves, we know it's reality.
I made Addison and Trey sit in church with us Sunday because I wanted them to hear Christie speak and watch the video. I had a view of the back of Addison's head most of the time and I couldn't really tell if she was listening or trying to pull a fast one on her friend's aunt for most of the service. Last night though, I heard her telling Trey and Annalise she was making price tags for her clothes so she could sell them and raise money for when she is married and begins to foster. She wants to raise money for the kids she may have. Addison is ADAMANT that she will never have a baby the old fashioned way. She said there is no need to go through all that pain when she can foster or adopt.
As I listened to her going through the clothing store rules and regulations, I realized it was on her mind. Then last night when she was taking a shower, she asked me why our preacher showed that video if he knew kids would be in there. I asked her what she meant, and she told me because it was so sad. I told her it was so we could see it and understand what it feels like for these kids a little better. We then related that to how Annalise felt when she came into care and her brother wasn't with her, or how the twin we had several months ago felt because she was separated from her sister.
I was thinking about all this today and realized.....Addison has the right idea. She saw something that made her sad and uncomfortable so she came home and started getting to work. I now have little pieces of paper with dollar amounts ALL over the house. I will admit I did stop her when she started pulling everything out of her closet, but I also assured her we would get some things together soon. We as adults are just not the same are we? We are sad, feel moved and then move on. Now, I can hear several people saying...."well, that's not fair. We can't do that." Okay, maybe you can't take care of extra kids. I can't either and I do it every day.
Or maybe you legitimately can't. Your husband says NO (make sure he really does though and it's not just you assuming), or you don't feel called to take kids into your home (make sure that's legit too, because some days I feel called to become an alcoholic and run away, but I refrain) or you just aren't sure what to do. Honestly, there are lots of ways to become involved that don't look like fostering or adopting and sometimes you just have to search those out. Be proactive. Be assertive. Be moved to action.
Now on to this red cup thing. If you haven't heard, Starbucks gave out a plain red cup and some lone ranger decided they were now anti-Christmas and we should boycott or at the very least give the name, Merry Christmas so they have to write it on your cup. I do NOT believe that multiple Christians were outraged, but simply one man. However, look how big it became. It's all over FB. It's the new lion that was killed by the Dentist. Here's my point with it though. We are always ready and willing to fight these causes. A plain red cup from Starbucks???? Aw, heck no. And the crusade begins. But yet, we are so willing to go listen to a moving sermon on Orphan Sunday (in churches everywhere) and cry, get more tissue, and then move on. Not everyone. But some. Be moved to action. If you are called to go, go. If you are led to act, act. If a 6 year old girl, OBSESSED with her clothes can be willing to clean them out to raise money for these kids, surely you can do something too right?
No comments:
Post a Comment