Vapor

Life is but a vapor. We are but a vapor. James 14:4 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."
That seems to be a thread running through my mind today.
I've probably lost about half of my readers already. No one likes to think about how short life is. We build these illusions that we are going to be around forever. Sometimes days drag on and we think it will never end (IS IT BEDTIME YET?!?!) But in truth, we all catch a glimpse of it around the holidays. (WEREN'T WE JUST SITTING AROUND THE TREE IN 2011???) We blink and it's Christmas time again. Here it is again- what, 17 more days?
It all started with a wonderful quote I found on Facebook. It was spoken by Derek Loux. It said "My friends, Adoption is redemption. It is costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him."
Wow. Those are powerful words. After I read them, I thought, who is Derek Loux? So I facebooked him. Of course, right? In memory of Derek Loux. Oh no. But I was greeted with a banner of 12 beautiful children, obviously his children, from all different corners of the World. Most of which with special needs. Derek and his wife were are champions for adoption. He was a music minister, missionary, and musician. He died in a car accident two days before Christmas in 2009. He was coming home from a seminar about ending child sex trafficking. You can read about his Adoption Revolution Mission and Derek's life HERE. Last month his dream was realized through the opening of an orphanage in Thailand. His daughters are getting married. His kids are growing up. His life was not a vapor.
What are we doing that really matters? I worry about buying Christmas gifts. I worry about my dirty carpet. I worry about my clothes, my hair. Worry, worry, worry. And all about earthly things that are gone in a vapor. Stuff that just doesn't matter. Stuff that will ultimately end up in a landfill. 

What are we doing? What am I doing?

Adoption started out for me, as a way to fill a selfish need. I wanted to be a mother. I wanted a family. But now adoption has ignited a passion in my heart that is a glimpse of something eternal, something that isn't a vapor. Something that matters. I wish everyone I knew would consider adoption. Commit to praying for orphans. Donate even a few dollars to help a family trying to adopt.

Let's vow to take small steps and do something that matters. Support an adoption auction. If you type in "Adoption" into facebook search you'll find at least a hundred. Then you can still buy things that serve a duel purpose. Support Reece's Rainbow (orphans with down syndrome) support Project Hopeful (orphans with HIV) support CWA (our agency) support Show Hope (Chapman adoption grants) The list goes on and on. There is no end to the amount of need in our World.

I'll leave you with this image I saw while reading the Loux family blog. It's of an Iraqi war orphan. The child had drawn a picture of his deceased mother to cuddle up to and fall asleep on. If this doesn't move you to action, I don't know much else that could.There are people hurting everywhere. How are we using our vapor?


I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I'm calling
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
And you've told me who I am
I am yours- Casting Crowns