Priority

This little girl was part of the 'heart change' we experienced.

     Because I'm on the road 2 day's a week traveling for my work, I listen to a lot of podcasts from iTunes.  I tell you what, I look forward to this quiet time of 'church' in my car each week.  I listen to the likes of Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Erwin McManus...great men of God who can rock your world with the Word of God.  I've spent many a car ride laughing out loud, crying tears of shame/sadness, feeling my cup runneth over with joy, trembling from goosebumps creeping up my spine, and shaking with awe at the raw, convicting truth being spoken through these men-coming straight out of Scripture.
  Well, today's message was no less convicting.  It's topic was "Kingdom Priority."  It comes from the tiny book of the prophet Haggai.  To cut straight to the chase the underlying theme was: "Do we, as the people (the church), have something we are building into with our time and resources? Or are we using every excuse to build up our lives on earth?"  Thus the idea...where is your Kingdom Priority?  Excuses like...(and I'm a personal trainer, so trust me I've heard them all!)
I have no time.
I have no money.
It's too difficult.
I can't commit.
But what we do have is time, money, motivation to fulfill our own personal priorities and self-indulgences.  So what do we do with this newfound revelation?  Or reminder?
What Haggai realizes is that we have to have a heart change before anything else can happen.  Our first act has to be obedience, repentance from the heart.  It's not a physical action.  It's not a discipline, it's not wealth, it's not time. The minute the Israelites repented and addressed their 'heart' issues, God was with them.  Then, once the heart is secured...the hands will follow.  The most captivating part of this discussion this morning was this line..

"True heart change should always lead to the hands that follow."

This is what we have been saved to do. 
Trust. Love. Serve.
I don't think this message was arguing with us to become poor or to look down on people who are financially blessed.  I felt that through this message God was telling the Israelites, and those of us today because it still applies, to use our resources, time, and gifts for His redemptive purposes.

I write all of this to tell you this...

I've been asked if we have really thought this adoption process through, if we know what we are getting into, if we really want to do this...

And this is my answer to that.  We as a family have experienced true heart change (and are still being changed and molded), we have been humbled and blessed, we have experienced God's hand in our lives in a really personal way.  

Therefore, as a result... 
We are being the hands that follow.