Habakkuk 2:4  But the righteous will live by his faith!

Sally Hagenhoff forwarded me an email last week that I can’t get out of my head. It’s from Jacques Rancourt, the discipleship pastor over at Manassas Baptist. I suppose it strikes a cord with me because our family has pursued a special needs adoption from China and we know the uncertainty of that process. But it’s more than that. Jacques’s words strike at the heart of the toxic and smothering blanket of security we’ve been taught to surround ourselves with. It challenges me to step out of the safety of my boat and into the storm to join Jesus in his work of reconciling the world. Jacques writes… 

To all of you who think we are heroes – we are not. Yes, we are bringing home two beautiful girls from China! Yes, those girls both have heart issues. Yes, both of them have had several heart surgeries already – and will need more. Yes, one of the girls we are bringing home, unless she has a major heart surgery soon – will die. And yes, very possibly even with the heart surgery, she might die. But no – that doesn’t make us a heroic. People have repeatedly told us how admirable it is that we would rescue these girls. And while we appreciate the encouragement, I want to be clear about something. We are not rescuing them – they are rescuing us. 

How so? It has become far too easy for me to settle into North American suburbia. I can feel the pull to settle into a comfortable little life with a nice home, two cars, a couple cute kids, and a dog. I have slowly, over the past few years, been lulled into a life in which I don’t do anything too risky, only make decisions that make sense financially, and take on me-sized challenges that won’t threaten my ability to control my own future. In other words, I had all but programmed faith right out of my life. And as for the Holy Spirit – I haven’t really needed Him lately. I haven’t really done anything that’s required his power. I haven’t been obsessed with following his leading. I’ve just kind of been content to coast in my own strength – until now. Because as a family, we are doing something that doesn’t make sense financially, that is far beyond our ability to control the result, and that can only work out if God shows up. Paul, on multiple occasions, echoed what God said through one of his prophets. “The righteous will live by faith” (Ha bakkuk 2:4). They do. I haven’t. I am now. And nothing tops that. Thank you girls for rescuing me! 

Peace and Goodwill,

Jacques 

So what will it be that rescues you from a self-contained and safe life? Perhaps it will be welcoming one of the 137 million orphans of the world into your home. Perhaps it will be something completely different. But somewhere buried deep down inside of you is a long dormant seed. And at some point, maybe years in the past you had a fire burning that is now barely smoldering, almost out. Uncover that passion, fan that flame, nurture that seed! Bring it to Jesus and discover what it means to live beyond yourself.