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As we pulled into my friend’s driveway, my kids bailed out of the car with squeals of delight, eager to see friends. All except our newest child. She sat there with a dark angry look on her face. I took a deep breath, opened my car door, and slid out of my seat. 

I ached to go inside, to study God’s Word with other women, to connect.  I was so lonely and so weary. I gathered my books and called back to her “Hey, hop out of the car!” She turned toward me with the look I’d become all too familiar with, and it began again.  She raged and threatened; her constant need to control me overwhelmed both of us. I quickly prayed (for the twentieth time that day) that the Lord would give me patience and wisdom. 

She hurled every hurtful word she could think of at me, along with some rocks, and anything else in her reach. I never made it further than 5 feet from the car that day.

As I sat down on the gravel driveway fighting hard for this child who refused to be loved, I cried.

I knew I was beginning to break. That day I returned home lonelier than I’d been before we arrived.

Are you a family who has made the life-changing decision to adopt?

Was it harder, easier, or just what you expected? In this case, for our family, it was definitely harder. I know this is not always the case, and that God will bring beauty from ashes, but this season of our life was heart-breaking.

I hope that by sharing and providing some ideas on how you can walk alongside families, it will give you a new understanding, compassion and awareness for how you can serve.

Join us in this 3-part series as I describe what it was like to adopt a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder and share how you, as fellow believers, can serve other families dealing with similar situations.

Everywhere you look there are children, people, cars, dogs, trash blowing across the road, busses racing by....a constant sea of movement. There are buildings being constructed, people at work, something for sale, a noise that never ceases; always a rush. 

But what for? People work hard in hope that opportunity will come, but sadly enough, for many here in Sucre, it seems that it never does. 

We met with Esperanza, a mother of three who works hard all day, every day, handwashing laundry and still just barely getting by. We assumed she was single by the way she spoke of her "son's father." But none of us had the heart to ask. She lived in the heart of the city but spoke as if she were all alone.  The only family she mentioned were the "cousins" of her children, as she called them, from her "boys' father's family". To get to her humble dwelling we climbed over a concrete guardrail, at a random spot off a steep embankment from a busy road, down a shaky set of rusty steel and plywood stairs. It was a tiny, hidden community unto itself, no more than five ramshackle dwellings. You never would have known it was there. It left us wondering how the women of FH had ever found it?

There were children, dogs and hanging laundry amongst the rubbish and mess. Yet children’s eager faces greeted us, hoping for a sponsor`s letter or even better, a visit! All three children were FH sponsored children and seemed more optimistic than most.

But on Esperanza's sad face, there was loneliness and exhaustion, embarrassment that all she had to offer her guests was Salvetti soda, one of which she provided in a wooden bowl because she had no more cups.

Though we knew that our 20-minute visit, gift of school supplies and simple words could not erase that, before we left we covered Esperanza with our prayers. What else can you do when you feel impossibly inadequate?

God's grace covers what we cannot.

His love was a hopeful light in Esperanza's dim, damp, single room dwelling. She smiled as we left, asking us not to forget her. It was heart wrenching.

How could we possibly forget?

Just as her sad face and situation was a profound example of those need, Jesus is a profound example that we NOT FORGET those in need.

"And the King will answer them,`Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40

Just as Sucre felt like a city that would never sleep, I prayed that we would be a people that would never forget. That we would remember her as a member of the family of Christ and continue to lift her up in prayer.

It left me wondering, what will we do for the least of these? In a world that moves too fast, where distraction abounds and we race to keep up, how will you and I serve, how can we pray and be a people that never forgets?

As we approach our most joyous celebration – the rising of our Savior, the first-fruits of eternal life, the opening of eternity for a mutinous creature – let’s take a moment and consider the cost.

No earthly torture will ever amount to the screaming schism as the Father looked away from the Son and restrained Himself from rescuing Him until the wrath was complete.

There are not enough words, not enough metaphors to describe this.

But there are some word-pictures that we might miss if we don’t examine the act of crucifixion on the God wrapped in flesh. The flogging, the nailing of beaten skin, the naked shame, the jeers as the prisoner gasped for life – opportunities for the most sadistic cruelty to emerge from man’s heart unchecked. We see that through the sinful judgment of man on God, that God absorbed the price of the sins of man.

The Jewish people reserved crucifixion for anyone who betrayed his own people to a foreign enemy, sorcerers, and idolators (Josephus, Antiquities 13:41, Numbers 25:1-4, Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Mishnah, Sanhedrin 6.5) How ironic that the Jewish people betrayed their God to a foreign enemy (Luke 23:6-16) and accused Him of being in league with a demon (John 10:33) as well as blasphemy that accorded this death sentence (Mark 14:64).

The Romans adopted the practice of crucifixion as the supreme penalty for specific instances. It was executed upon lower classes, in wartime, and upon slaves.

Consider this:

• Crucifixion was thought to deter slaves from insurrection. It was rare for a slave to have protection from his master. But Jesus was actually the Master who was betrayed by His servants (Mark 12:1-10). 
• Crucifixion was used to break the will of a conquered people by the conquerors. This act of conquest is used by God to bring freedom (Galatians 3:10-13).
• Crucifixion was used for crimes of high treason (Luke 23:2-3). Jesus is the true King of all the kings (Matthew 26:64). The kings of the earth will answer to Him (Psalm 2:2, Revelation 1:5).
• Crucifixion was used in contexts of war. And yet, when Jesus submitted to it, He brought peace (Isaiah 53:7).
• Perhaps most shockingly, crucifixion was used for religions that were not condoned by the earthly government. It was the true God that man dared to execute judgment on! (John 1:1-18)

That night, the apostles were in despair. They were terrified, confused, discouraged and unsure. But what looked like the worst evening in the history of mankind was the most wonderful loving act for them.

In Acts 2, Peter explains it eloquently by reminding them of the words of the long-ago prophets and then explaining,

“²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24

The response of the crowd echoes into our own souls, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). For, if we are honest with ourselves, we, too have betrayed God. We too, commit high treason when we reject His authority over our lives. But Peter’s plea for repentance is our incredible privilege as we recognize that He is perfecting the work of sanctification in us.

So, what does this mean for you and for me? If Jesus is our Savior, if we embrace the atoning work that He endured on our behalf, what now?

The answer is in Luke 9:23-27,

“²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

If you are prayerfully considering what this might look like in your life, I would encourage you to pray through Philippians 2:6-11 and 1 Corinthians 1:20-25.

May He bless you as you seek His face and celebrate the awesome work of resurrection this Sunday!  He is risen indeed!

Reference: Hengel, Martin “Crucifixion” Fortress Press, 1977

This is my third time in Bolivia. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would spend my vacation time each year to visit people in need and work with the less fortunate, I'm not sure I would have believed you. But God placed Bolivia on my heart from the very first trip I made, one of the ways He did that was  through working with the women of the community.

I have been blessed to witness the progress made in the village of Villa Margarita.  My first trip, God blessed me with the opportunity to teach the women community leaders about Nutrition. God used that experience to change my heart for those in poverty and show me where there was poverty in my life as well. FH was just starting in the community and the Cascada group of women leaders were few and needed education as basic as understanding the food groups.

Three years later, my heart filled with love, grace and humility as I witnessed the same community with many more members of the Cascada group open their Nutrition Center. Though the building was awesome, it was the pride each women had in their work. The ownership, responsibility and confidence each woman had filled my heart. The women have learned and are bringing the good information to others. All the while, living and learning biblical principles. Their children are learning from their mothers and will be leaders one day too! 

I praise God that He brought me here to be a part of the opening of the nutrition center. It will be a day that will forever remain in my heart. 

In a survey of students at a prominent mid-western university, 67% claimed to be of the Christian faith. When those surveyed were asked what they first thought of when Easter was mentioned, what do you think they answered?

• The leading response was Easter eggs at 26%.
• The Easter bunny garnered 16%.
• Church came in at 14%.
• Christ received 11%.
• Resurrection got 11%.
• Sweets were mentioned in 5%.
• Family came up in 5%.
• Other stuff    12%. 

If you count Church, Christ and Resurrection together, that adds up to just 36%. Compared to Easter eggs and the Easter bunny adding up to whopping 42%. Wow!

But, regardless of what the world, our culture or our customs tell us, the reason Christians celebrate Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Without doubt Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the single most important event in all of history.

Jesus’ resurrection is the lynch-pin to God’s creative masterpiece.

Just as there is one cut of the rough diamond that displays all the brilliant facets of the ge, so the resurrection reveals the many aspects of God’s redemptive plan.

The Facts Are:

God sent His only Son to live among us for the purpose of restoring us to right relationship with Him shows the great lengths He is willing to go to keep His promises. God is faithful.

Jesus came, knowing death on a cross awaited Him, demonstrates how great His love for us is. God is love.

Jesus bore our sins and took the punishment for them, He paid the price for our redemption, exhibits the saving grace of our redeemer. Jesus saves.

God’s raising Jesus from the dead is proof that we are free from the bondage of sin and death. The resurrection is our assurance that the holy and just God accepts the sacrifice made on our behalf; our debt is paid in full, our hope is secure. Jesus lives!!

As Christians we celebrate as a praise offering to God for what He has done.

We celebrate the wonderful transformation that we’ve experienced in salvation and the continuing transformation of sanctification.

We celebrate because we have been blessed.

We celebrate so that others might see our joy and be drawn to the Savior.

We celebrate the RESURRECTION!