Six Orphans and a Family of Love

This past week, I have been asked on more than one occasion by the media (as I am interviewed for my upcoming debate with Bill Nye “the Science Guy” on www.debatelive.org) as to what our real motivation is at AiG and the Creation Museum. Of course I tell the media it’s to stand on the authority of the Word of God and proclaim the gospel.

But I think there’s no better way to explain our motivation at AiG than to relate the following to you.

Recently, the family of AiG board member Tony Biller decided to reach out to some orphans.  I would encourage you to read about the journey of these orphans and adoption.  Here are some excerpts of Tony’s email:

One day while fearing what the future would look like if we adopted those children, God answered me with a question: What will it look like if you do not adopt them?  What will become of them?  What testimony will that be to your children?  I remembered Jesus’ parables about the lazy servants.  What if Christ asked me why we did not serve these children in His name? God repeatedly reminded me to focus on the day I was in and leave the worries of tomorrow to Him.

We spent the better part of a month with those children.  We loved on them and they loved us back even more. They were exhausting and exhilarating.  There was never a dull moment. Our kids loved it.  Everyone survived. The first night together, only one of them prayed. By the end, they all prayed, each in their native language.  Each night we sang, and on most nights we read Scripture together, in English and in their tongue. There were many tears when we hugged and kissed goodbye at the airport boarding gate.  The house seems much quieter now with “just” four children.

. . . Second, Thea was correct.  Those kids rocked our world . . . in a good way.  Service to orphans is work God finds pleasing.  It cast a different light on much that we had previously held onto as important.  More though, it expanded us.  Marriage was a paradigm shift—learning to live with another. Having children expanded me further. Orphans continued that same growth, pushing me further outside myself to unconditionally love for the purpose of loving another . . . the imprimatur of Christian living.

Caring for orphans is difficult. They are broken and hurt people. I do not know how to prepare for tomorrow.  God does, though.  He taught me, really taught me, to worry about the day I am in and leave tomorrow for Him.  And each day? He more than took care of us.  God’s love is there when we need it most, particularly when we’re seeking to serve Him. His love is the reward.

This process brought me to my knees repeatedly as I found myself without answers and feeling  ill-equipped.  Caring for them brought me much closer to God and to a deeper understanding of what servanthood means. Trusting unto Him and finding Him not in any way lacking is probably the largest single blessing of the orphan experience.

God blessed us more than we gave.

We can never go back to the way things were.  By His “terrible” [formidable] and wonderful grace, God opened our minds further to what His love looks like.  Unconditional. Total. Giving.

With faith that God will continue to provide, we are applying to adopt all six of the orphans. The journey continues and we look to God for the strength, the wisdom, and the way.

What more can I say except this? “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

Our motivation as Christians is love for others by sharing what their physical bodies need for life, like these orphans, and also providing for their spiritual needs, like pointing them to their need for a Savior who can give them eternal life.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken