Love Is Oxygen
Page 12
Then late one night in the winter of 2012, we got a call that changed everything. This wasn’t a normal time for Elaine to call, so right off the bat Juli thought something might have happened. Elaine explained to Juli that after lots of prayer and consideration, she wanted us to adopt the baby. Elaine felt as though it would be the best thing for her to do given her current situation, and she didn’t want the baby to be adopted by anyone but us.
We immediately knew our answer.
“Yes.”
We knew we were still early into our marriage, but something about this little baby being in our family felt right. We’d been there for so much of the journey that adopting this little baby—a boy, we now knew—seemed like the perfect ending to such an incredible story. And did I mention that a few weeks prior to hearing from Elaine, Juli received news from her doctor that having children of our own would be nearly impossible? This whole thing had God written all over it.
The next few months leading up to the baby’s birth were filled with having conversations with lawyers, preparing for house visits, raising money to pay for the private adoption fees, and getting our house ready for the arrival of a newborn. People thought we were crazy. But we knew God had opened a door for us to bring life into our home, and we were so thankful for the opportunity. We knew it would be tough. We knew adoption would bring its own struggles. And we knew that adopting a child of a different ethnicity would stir up interesting conversations. But we didn’t care. Those things didn’t worry us one bit. All we knew was that a child needed a home, and we were more than willing to open up our hearts to be available.
One month before the baby was due, Elaine called us, wondering if giving up the baby was the right thing for her to do. We told her, “That is completely up to you, Elaine! Our hearts would be so full if you decided to keep your little boy, but please know we’re also open to giving him a loving home with us if you so choose. We want what you want.”
I could see a little disappointment in Juli’s eyes as we talked to Elaine, and I knew how she felt. Over the last four months, we had been preparing for this little boy, and we had even already chosen his name. But our disappointment was not out of selfishness. Our goal from the very beginning had been that this mother would choose to give her child life. We were sad knowing we might not be welcoming him into our family, but we knew God had a wonderful plan. We couldn’t let her decision, regardless of what it was, cover up the beauty of a mother choosing to let her little baby have life.
As the phone call came to an end, I could see tears in Juli’s eyes. Juli said we’d be here for Elaine no matter what she decided.
That was the last time we ever heard from Elaine. We don’t know what happened to the baby boy, but we pray daily that he is safe, joyful, and living a fulfilling life with his momma. God’s plan may not have been for us to adopt that baby, but God showed us something valuable about love. What would we do if we were given the opportunity to help someone in need? How would we respond if an opportunity to love someone was plastered right in our faces? Would we make excuses because of our age, financial situation, and lack of faith, or would we instead be bold and courageous, knowing that God would take care of everything if we just made ourselves available to the need at hand?
We may have never met the little boy we planned on welcoming into our home, but that doesn’t mean our time was wasted. In fact, I believe what happened was God’s plan from the very beginning. Our job was to follow his lead and love where we could, exuding a light and an aroma of compassion.
Loving others isn’t always going to be easy. And just because you are following God’s direction doesn’t mean everything is going to go the way you planned. We have to look at the bigger picture. God is in complete control—our only job is to make ourselves available to love people who are in need. That’s such a big and beautiful part of the Christian life that so many people seem to forget. Following Jesus is about God loving you, you loving God, and you loving people in the name of God.
Every day we will have opportunities to breathe out love onto people who are in need, hurting, and broken. We should not beg God to use us and then ignore the opportunities to love the people in front of us. Being used by God doesn’t always mean doing what we perceive as “big” things. Being used by God means taking every opportunity, no matter how big or small, and truly investing our time and energy into them.
A Final Word
This journey into living in God’s love will take the rest of our lives. His love for us doesn’t change, but our understanding of that love and how we show it to others will be constantly growing and changing. So as we reach the end of this book, I want you to hold on to this: The God who created the heavens and the earth loved you enough to create you in his own image. He didn’t have to do this, but he wanted to. Your existence is so intrinsically beautiful. You were made with love, made unique, made for a purpose, and destined to share God’s love with everyone you come across. Because after all, we love because God first loved us. Once we truly breathe it in, we cannot help but breathe it out upon the world around us. We love because God is love, which means that, as redeemed people reflecting his image, we are meant to be living, breathing ambassadors of love. If we seek to discover and live out his love daily, we won’t regret it. God’s love is oxygen for our souls, and as we breathe in the rhythm of his love, our lives will never be the same.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jarrid Wilson is a husband, a dad, a pastor, an author, an inspirational blogger, and the founder of Anthem of Hope. He is the author of Jesus Swagger, Wondrous Pursuit, 30 Words, and Love Is Oxygen.
His articles have been viewed by tens of millions, showcased on some of today’s hottest talk shows, and featured on national news stations worldwide. He is a dynamic speaker whose outside-the-box perspectives have gained him national recognition from some of today’s most influential Christian leaders and pastors.
His highly unconventional way of sharing faith takes a fresh look at the way Jesus would call individuals to live out their everyday lives. Unafraid to tackle tough and controversial topics, Jarrid is known for his refreshing perspectives on what others may view as set in black and white. His blog is one of the most talked about faith-based blogs on the web, and his dedication to showcase the relentless love of Jesus has been paramount to his success as a writer and leader.
Jarrid and his wife, Juli, live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their sons, Finch and Denham, and their dog, Eloise.
NOTES
[1] “Suicide: Facts at a Glance,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, accessed February 24, 2017, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicide-datasheet-a.pdf.
[2] Matthew Henry, Short Comments on Every Chapter of the Holy Bible (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1839), 992.
[3] Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000), 29.
[4] Oxford Living Dictionaries, s.v. “prodigal,” https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/prodigal.
[5] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 38.
[6] Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Epistles General of I and II Peter and I John (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1910), 347.
[7] Eugene H. Peterson, Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009), 150.
[8] Elisabeth Elliot, “Elisabeth Elliot Quotes,” Goodreads, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/298278.
[9] Henry David Thoreau, The Portable Thoreau (New York: Penguin Books, 2012), 454.
[10] Jarrid Wilson, “I’m Dating Someone Even Though I’m Married,” Jarrid Wilson, January 6, 2014, http://jarridwilson.com/im-dating-someone-even-though-im-married/.
[11] A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Abbotsford, WI: Aneko Press, 2015), 4.
[12] D. L. Moody, The Overcoming Life (Orlando, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2007), 336.
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[13] Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2013), 6.
[14] “From Death to Life,” YouTube video, posted by FromDeathToLifeVideo, November 28, 2011, https://youtu.be/xSJ8Nfov6C4.
[15] “The Power of Forgiveness,” YouTube video, posted by CBS, June 7, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2BITY-3Mp4.
[16] Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2013), 23.
[17] Jon Acuff, “Confessing ‘Safe Sins,’” Stuff Christians Like, March 4, 2009, accessed February 24, 2017, http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/03/04/502-confessing-safe-sins-2.