The Body

All throughout the New Testament God likens the church to a body.  Not several bodies; just one.  As individual believers, we make up different parts of that said body.  My husband recently said that even if a Christian is good enough to qualify as an entire eye, he is still useless without the help of the rest of the body.  We have been uniquely created to be interdependent on each other.

I do have a point to this so please keep reading!

On Tuesday night, May 31st, I was sitting at my computer.  Wait, quick pause.  My husband and I one day hope to adopt and we've been leaning towards Russia.  We've recently paid off our debt and are now focusing on acquiring another route and saving.  But since we're not actively in the adoption process, it's so easy to lose fire for that mission.  So back to my computer - I was sitting at it, looking up Russian adoption blogs.  I haven't done this before, but I did it.  On Tuesday night.  The 31st.  

While skimming different blogs, one in particular caught my eye.  It was a couple with a burden to adopt a little girl from Russia, and to do it debt-free.  I spent over an hour reading their story and, by the time I was done, was motivated to donate to their cause.  The date is important now, because it was the very end of the month.  My husband and I allot a minimum amount to give away each month, and I opened up our budget to see if we had reached that minimum.  We almost ALWAYS do all of our giving at the beginning of the month so that we don't have an excuse not to later (i.e. we ate out too much and now we don't have enough money to give).  However, this month we hadn't.  This is rare.  But it made giving to this couple rather easy.  It was a modest sum....pennies compared to what I know an adoption costs.  Thankfully I know God's not looking at the amount.

The next morning I received an email from the wife.  Little did I know, that night - Tuesday, May 31st - her and her husband had just finished 7 days of prayer and fasting regarding their adoption process.  She wrote this to me:  "we just dedicated the last seven days to fasting and praying with the Lord, being open to direction, guidance, just basking in His love and whatever He would bring to the table...And then, on the very last night of fasting, last night, I get this donation from you and your husband and I think, 'Wow.  God is just really speaking to me that He will provide!'"

I'm not attempting to brag about our gift because, honestly, it was small.  Her full response would have been better suited if there were a couple zeros added onto the end of our gift.  But what really spoke to me was how little is required to ensure that our body - the one Christ has made us all members of - stays blessed and encouraged.  I think of my friend Andrea who did a bake sale to buy socks for homeless children.  I think of my sister and her husband who couldn't buy from the bake sale, and so gave a little seed money to help Andrea buy ingredients for it.  And my friend Megan who took up a collection for a pregnant mom who didn't have a car seat or any essentials for her expectant child.  And my Dad who will spend an entire wedding in the kitchen doing dishes.  I think about the homeschoolers I know who volunteer their time to remove the flags from the graves of our fallen heroes after Memorial Day each year.  And the ones who decorate a local assisted living facility with homemade cards and decorations.  I think of all my friends and family who willingly make small sacrifices despite a lack of accolades, simply because they want to take care of the Body.  God is not asking for riches - He has those.  He's only seeking what He's already enabled us to give.  I thank those of you who model this and have spurred me on to do the same.