Priorities

After waiting this long between blog posts, I've gotten a little worked up about how thorough/touching/clever etc. etc. my next entry should be. You know, to make up for lost time. (So silly. I know.)

But this mama is so, so tired.

Sam and I are happy as clams. But I'm tired.

While I don't expect that anything too eloquent is going to pour through my fingertips tonight, I do have an important message to share with all of you.

(For those of you waiting for a Sam update, I promise it really is coming, but this is first priority!)

Some of you may remember my dear friend, Anna, who traveled with me to Bulgaria in April to meet Sam.

Dinner  with Anna in the hotel in Pleven

Seeing firsthand the plight of the precious children of Pleven changed Anna (and me!) for good. How could it not? She knew she needed to do something.

Anna's husband, Jon, without having had the opportunity to look into these children's eyes, but after hearing his bride's newfound passion, without so much as hesitating, opened his heart up to the possibility of welcoming one of these children into their home.

Here is Anna with her husband and son

Jon and Anna are now, together, working hard and fast to rescue a child many of us have prayed for and loved from afar. "Peyton". Or as his new mommy and daddy will call him, "Simon".

As many of you already know, adopting is not for the faint of heart. Jon and Anna are learning this firsthand everyday as they fill out piles of daunting paperwork, make one difficult decision after another, and pray for the son they dearly love, but cannot yet reach with their arms.

I've told Anna from the beginning, that of all things NOT to worry about, to not worry about money. Money is the smallest of issues to God. So instead, I've encouraged her to spend her precious energy on praying and preparing for this most valuable new family member.

And this is why I'm writing this post.

I want to put my money where my mouth is. And I hope you all will join me.

This Christmas, will you consider helping a family who is stepping out in faith and obeying God, even though it is NOT easy? Will you carry a part of the burden with them so they can focus on the stuff that really matters? Will you give a gift to help rescue their son?

• Give a donation toward Simon's adoption in honor of a friend or family member. What a long-lasting, beautiful gift!

• Or the next time someone asks you what you want for Christmas, tell them you want Simon to come home. Ask them to make a donation in your honor.

• Some families take up a collection and donate it to a cause that is close to their hearts. Tell your family about Simon. Eight years old. Eighteen pounds. With a daddy and mama and brother on their way. Your family has the opportunity to be part of Jon and Anna's journey to bring Simon home.

• Did you get a Christmas bonus from work? An unexpected check in the mail? Consider tithing the blessings you have been given toward the ransom of one special, chosen, yet still waiting little boy.

I know, at this time of year especially, we have so many opportunities to give of the blessings that God has given us. I totally get it.

But I will ask you still; will you consider making a contribution toward Simon's ransom?

If you've had the opportunity to meet my Samantha in person, you know why I am so relentless. You know that just like Samantha, who we prayed for and gave toward for an entire excruciatingly difficult year, Simon is real. He's a living, breathing child who desperately needs food, and love, and freedom.

I know now how incredibly difficult and all-consuming it is to answer God's call to rescue a child. I know that this Christmas will be bitter sweet for Jon and Anna, as they ache to have Simon safely in their arms. We can't change this for them. We can't change it for Simon. But we can help to carry their burden. And by helping we can bring encouragement and hope.

Won't you please, please pass this request along?

Let's heap blessings on the Keyzer family this Christmas. For Simon.

Visit Anna's blog to donate toward Simon's adoption. On the right-hand side you will see two places where you can give. If you add your donation to their chip-in, your gift will be made available to the family right away, for ongoing adoption expenses. To give a tax-deductible donation, contribute to their Reece's Rainbow FSP, which will be released to the family at the time of their travel.

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." Isaiah 1:17