A little over a month ago I had the chance to pack up my videography gear and head to Georgia to spend a day with the sweet Ankerich family. Thanks to blogging (still blows my mind how the Lord can use this!!!) I met the Ankerich’s oldest daughter, Savannah, and have been in love with this family since. They have an incredible story of surrender, trust, and bold faith. I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Scott and Sharon and talk about what all God has done in their lives to bring them to where they are now. 3 biological girls, 6 China babies, and God says, “You’re not done.” This is such an incredible story of how God leads us to surrender and how we can choose to follow Him. I wish you could see the entire interview because I was soaking in every word of that almost hour and a half. On this Orphan Sunday in the “adoption month” of November, it’s my prayer that this video moves your heart. Like Scott says in the video, we can’t save them all... but we can save one at a time. Or you can help someone save one at a time. Loving the orphan is not an option, it is a command in scripture. How will you do it? How will you serve? How will you love? I’ve been so convicted over these questions the past few months. Convicted over my complacency at times and my lack of urgency for these millions of children. I don’t know what our adoption journey will look like, but I do know that until the Lord calls us into serving through bringing babies into our home, that I can still serve. I can still do big things for the Lord here in my current season. This morning I’m so incredibly grateful for the 13 months that we haven’t gotten pregnant. I’m so thankful that the Lord has used this season to convict my heart and completely wreck my plans and my ideas of what family looks like. I’m so thankful for this season as it has only increased my desire to adopt and my passion to do big things. I am so grateful that today I don’t have a single distraction keeping me from doing something incredible for the Lord and to advocate for those in foster care and adoption. Maybe God has been saying “not now” for such a time as this. And I would ask for this season to be one second shorter. I don’t want to waste this season. I want God to use it to do big thing that I could never even dream up on my own.
It’s my desire that as you watch this film your heart will be moved to action. Maybe today that’s just sharing the Ankerich’s story and giving to them or simply praying for them. Or maybe that’s having a talk with your husband about what you can do together. Or maybe it’s taking a meal to a family who is fostering. Or maybe it’s finally starting on that adoption paperwork that you know God is calling you to. Whatever it is, I pray that you would do that one thing. We’re called to it.
The Lord has been doing big things in my heart. It’s not quite time for me to share those things yet, but I would ask that you would pray. Pray as the Lord brings people into my path that can help make it happen. Pray that the Lord would have full and total control and that I would surrender every bit of this to Him.
I’m ready to do my part today.
Are you?