If Not Us Then Who?

I need you to click this link. Project Hopeful.  Go ahead...take the three minutes.  The Twietmeyer family adopted six Ethiopian children, two of which have HIV.  I want you to watch their story that was featured this morning on the TODAY show....yes, national news that positively highlighted adoption.... can you believe it....not negative press. 

Their message, "If not us then who?", does not only apply to adopting a child from Ethiopia or China or the Ukraine or here with HIV....  But if we really think about, it applies to so much more.....

If we/I don't adopt a child, who will?
If we/I don't financially support orphans, who will?
If we/I don't speak out for those without a voice (orphans, the poor, the less fortunate), who will?
If we/I don't encourage our friends and family and challenge their mindsets, who will?
If we/I don't force our churches to focus on serving others rather than building fund or pew colors, who will?
If we/I don't love others without regard to race, religion, income, home size, jean size, who will??
If we/I don't share Jesus' love with our coworkers, families and those around us, who will?

We, this includes me and my family, need to stop half living....living one foot wanting to make a difference and one foot not wanting upset anyone, seeking approval from others. We must live different lives from those around us if we expect those around us to change.  Wasn't it Ghandi that said "We must be the change we want to see in the world." ???? Though this is not in the gospel, it is a quote that should be lived as such.  If we want our world and our world's perspective to change, we must be the example; we must be the change

So, how do we do this?  Thankfully the Bible has given us some great examples:

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”  Matthew 12:31

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21


"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."
Isaiah 1:17


So where do you and I go from here?  What changes will you make?  As for our family, God is challenging us on our serving others....financially and in time.  He is challenging us to change to face of adoption in our family in hopes to change the perspective of others.  What is He shaking you to do? I dare you to comment on my blog....to share what you/your family is going to try to do?  You never know, you may encourage someone else...Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." I know commenting puts you out there, makes you vulnerable, takes five minutes...but let's take a minute to "sharpen" and challenge one another, to grow the world, one blog post...one friend....one child...one family at a time.