The Father's Heart for those who don't even know He exists....

When you love someone (or in our case two someones) as deeply as the Lord has allowed us to love Felix and Betty, The Lord teaches you a few things...

So far here's my musing of  some of the things God has taught us. (so far)

Our whole family loves those kids.  We are so bonded to them in our hearts, we were and still are willing to endure any and every hardship and inconvenience to get them for our own.  If we could, we would give anything and everything for them.  We would spend any money, endure any sickness, give up any and every earthly good.

I would travel to Africa and give birth to this new baby there, as terrifying as that sounds, if it would mean we could adopt those kiddos.

But as of right now, God is saying no or at least wait.

So here we sit.  With all this love and broken hearts.

All this desire to know and be known by them.  To hold them, to tell them we love them. And that we will always be there. But, at least right now, we can't.

All this while they don't even know we exist.

And there it hit me.

This is the heart of the Father.  (Only times about a million) for those children of His who he loves and is literally willing to (And Did in fact give up ALL THINGS for)

All those children of His who DON'T EVEN KNOW HE EXISTS.

See, we have payed some of the costs for this adoption.

But God in Christ payed everything.  He payed it all.  And he payed for EVERYONE.

Would I, by choice, fully pay for the adoption of a child who would NEVER actually be mine?
Just because I loved them so much,and I wanted to by any means I could, to make it possible for them to come into my family? Would I be willing to make the way, just because of my love, with full knowledge they would NOT be mine?

God, In Christ, Did exactly that.

He payed for EVERY person for all time to be brought in to his family.

Fully knowing they wouldn't all come into his family.
 Yes, clearly many would. But not all.
But imagine his heart for the ones who have never heard?
It must be breaking, beyond anything I can imagine.

My heart is breaking for children I have known for a few months, from afar, in pictures and written words.

Imagine the heart of the Father, who designed, made, and knows each one, every tear, every thought, every little bit about every single one. He fully knows them.

See Felix and Betty don't know about us.  I mean, they know their need. They are probably well acquainted with their lack of a mommy and daddy.But they don't have any idea that there is a mommy and daddy somewhere who love them and want them so badly.

So the other morning, I was sitting there pouting about this thought to myself. And as he often does, God spoke to my heart, and said.... 'Christa, There are millions of people who are in this exact place with me.'

Well acquainted with their lack.

But no idea that Jesus loves them.  That he payed the ultimate and costly price for them to know and be known by Him.  To be a part of His family.

an estimated 2 billion people, to be exact.

Romans 10:14
 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

We have to be passionate about the lost.  It can't just be numbers. We have to go. We have to tell them.  We have to send people to go. We have to Give generously to the cause of sharing Christ with the ones who have never heard.  And we have to pray for those who are there. We all HAVE to do something.

Its a lot like adoption. Clearly not everyone is called to adopt. But we are all called, as believers to care, and not just mentally feel sad for, but actually serve practically in some capacity the fatherless and vulnerable children in our world.

It is not enough to be sad about orphans, or about the fact that there are millions who haven't heard the gospel.  We have to move.

What if we had adopted Felix and Betty, fully and legally, and all that lacked was for us to get on the plane and go tell them, to go help them actually experience their adoption?

I can't think of anything more tragic than that.

But God.

Ephesians 2:4-5
 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Go. Send. Pray. We have to.

If we don't, well, I can't think of anything more tragic than that.