I'm taking this from the blog, "No Hands But Ours". Even though we adopted from Ethiopia, not China, these feelings have NOT left my heart and I hope they NEVER do! Don't be like me...3 trips to Ethiopia...and I still kept walking!
Recalculate by Sonia
June 3, 2012 By
When you go on your adoption trip
expect it
expect to meet Jesus there.
I did.
And then I walked right past Him.
A year and a half later and I am still haunted by my choice.
A year and a half ago we had gone to a park one day,
you know the one
in Guangzhou
with the rides
and the lake
the paddle-boats
and the fun
and the snacks
and smiles
and all the pictures we have of our newly adopted children smiling on the roller coaster as we pray it does not collapse
cuz ya know, I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been serviced in…
well…never
Ya, it’s that park.
You know the one,
the one with the one-legged homeless man lying on the street.
I saw him
I saw him
.
And then collectively,
And then collectively,
we walked right past him.
If I could only rewind.
If I could only go back to that moment.
I would have done differently.
.
I would have done SO much differently.
I would have done SO much differently.
I would have served.
I would have loved.
I would have cared.
I cared in my head for sure.
I thought about him.
Glanced behind me periodically while acting like I wasn’t looking at him.
Thought how awful it was that he was confined to that one section of that dirty street.
Prayed for him.
Yup.
I did it all
in my head.
All the while my hands were
full of children
and full of ability.
Ability.
Wasted.
Why?
Why did I take a perfect opportunity to be His hands and feet and do nothing?
I guess I can rationalize it…if I wanted to.
That trip can be so overwhelming.
We were so focused on our new children,
we are focused on where we are going,
on not getting lost
on making sure our passports are still with us
on ensuring that we don’t break some unknown social rule and cause chaos
I.
Get.
It.
And when I come upon these situations so suddenly I think my brain and body just kinda go on autopilot.
Continue. To. Your. Destination.
Do. Not. Make. A. U-Turn.
Do. Not. Recalculate.
When Jesus was on this earth time and time and time again He was approached
by the lame,
by the sick,
the dying,
the needy
and each time
His GPS recalculated.
Because His destination?
Is set on Love.
He stopped.
I want to be like that.
I want to stop.
So let me encourage you,
do not make the same grievous mistake that I did.
If you are about to travel,
to Africa,
to China
to Eastern Europe
down the block
expect it.
Be ready for it.
In between packing the bottles and diapers and stacking cups and hot wheels,
why not throw in a couple of snack bags filled that you can have with you while you walk about.
Why not throw a couple of extra water bottles in the backpack when you head out.
Why not prepare to serve?
Be ready to meet HIM.
Be on the lookout.
What can you do?
How can you make a difference?
Would it have cost me much to go back in the park and buy him a meal and bring it out to him?
Nope.
Would that have made a huge difference in his day and probably taken me all of 10 minutes?
Yup.
Would that have made a huge impact on my 6 children that stood there with me that day?
Yup.
Could I have asked our guide if there is a store or place that I could have purchased a walker or cane for him?
Yup.
Would that have made a tremendous difference in his life?
Yup.
Did I do it?
Did I do any of it?
Nope.
I made a choice that day.
No matter how quickly,
no matter how unexpected and unprepared I was
I made that choice to continue on to our designated destination
I want to recalculate.
That’s what I wish I had done that day.
Because if I want to continue to say that I want to love like Him
then I need to be ever ready to really act like Him.
Be prepared.
Be ready.
Jesus will be there.
STOP and meet with Him.
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew
25:40
{photo credit}
Recalculate.
He did.
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