Worth the Risk

I just finished reading The Boy From Baby House 10.

Once again I am wrecked.

The entire time I was reading this book I was thinking about these image bearers of God.

Trying to comprehend the truth that their existence is soon to be the same as the children in the book.

No human-being should ever have such experiences.

Especially when there are millions of professing Christians in this world.

Are these children any less worth the love and security of a family,  just because they have disabilities and differences?

How are they any different from these two?

They are not.

The other day a new-born was brought to our attention.  A home study ready family was needed to presumably love this sweet precious soul in to the arms of Jesus.  There was not much hope, barring a miracle from our very capable God, of her living a long life.

Does she not deserve a family to love her while she is here?

Last night Richard and I talked about whether or not we could do something like that.  (Even though we cannot give this child a family, since there is no current home study.)

We knew it would be hard.  Impossible even, were it not for the grace of Christ.  We knew even the most well-meaning and God-fearing friends and family would counsel against it.  We figured their chief concern would be, “What about your children?  How do you think this would affect them?”

We talked about that too.  Yes, I do think that loving a sibling into the arms of Jesus would have a profound impact on our children.

I think that they would learn that truly following Jesus is hard, painful, and that it takes a considerable amount of strength to lay down your life for another.

I think they would learn that Jesus is worth it, and that He is the supplier of the strength needed.

I think they would learn that choosing to love someone brings risk.

The risk is that you lose yourself in the love of the Savior, who is worth risking everything for.

I think that they would learn that even in the most painful and trying of circumstances, that God’s grace is sufficient for them.

I hope that they would see a father and mother who love their Savior.  I hope that they would see parents that think that Savior is worth infinitely more than anything this world has to offer.  I hope that they would see parents who, because of that Savior’s love lavished upon them, were willing to lavish it on another, in spite of the deep pain it caused.  I hope they would see joy in the hearts of their parents in serving their Savior.

I hope that would have such an impact on them that they would grow to be men and women who lived the same way.  Loving the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Loving their neighbor as themselves.  Bringing image bearers of Christ into their homes and loving them into His arms.  I hope that they would learn that in their death they truly find life.

I would hope that they would see the gospel clearly, and be able to proclaim to the world, “I was the child in baby house 10.  Discarded.  Unwanted.  Wallowing in a bed of my own filth.  Hopeless, alone, and afraid.  Jesus found me.  Picked me up, held me in His loving embrace, cleaned me up, clothed me in righteousness, brought me into His family, and gave me HOPE.  How can I not do the same for those made in His image.”

That is the legacy I want to leave for my children.

To be doers of the word not just hearers.

To be doers of the HARD words of Jesus.  The ones they don’t want to do, but in doing them they see their Savior more clearly and experience the joy of Heaven here on Earth.

Not to earn grace, but because of the grace so freely given to them.

What if more of us who love Jesus, took into our homes the unloved, unwanted, and discarded of the world?

The children disabled and diseased?

The unwed pregnant teenager?

The troubled young man on probation?

The children in foster care?

The ones starving not just for affection, but for food in third world countries?

What if we went out and got our hands dirty and complicated our lives with the work of Jesus?

What if we began to offer life to this world of death?

I think that would have a profound impact on those who do not know Christ.

I think it would shut the mouths of those who say that they would be a Christian, if they ever actually met one.  I think in seeing followers of Christ do unbelievable things, they would see the Savior.

I think it would change their life as much as it changed ours.

I think it would be worth the risk.