The Cost of Following Jesus

For the last few days I have been thinking of the verse from the Gospel when Jesus says, "the Son Of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  It all began while seeing Facebook Friends list their thankfulness for the month of gratitude.  As many stated that their gratefulness for the homes and roofs over their head, the verse popped into my head.  Like always, it compelled me to dig further.  I blame it on the bible study I am currently participating.  The study encourages growing more than surface deep through picturing and pondering God's Word.  Therefore, I've turned in to a mad woman picturing and pondering, all the while God is changing me, giving me wisdom and knowledge, and adoration for his majesty! 

Hence, it beckons me to search why this scripture has stayed with me the past few days and why I must learn more.  Somehow, it all became clear today.  I have struggled for months trying to figure out this adoption vision and idea of orphan care. Why, I somehow can't escape the ideas?  I've asked myself a million times, is it for us? Are we the kind of people who do this kind of thing?  We already have children, how will they feel? How would an adopted child feel?  How can we accommodate and juggle all of this change?  Suddenly, it all makes sense!  This verse hit home for me.  The entire passage from Matthew 8:18-22 goes like this:

 ¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
 ¹⁹ Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
 ²⁰ But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^[a] has no place even to lay his head.”
 ²¹ Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
 ²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead."

You, see, as we step in to following God's commands of "taking care of the orphan in their distress," I realized I am just like these religious teachers.  I was to stay at the Ritz to good works.  I want to be comfortable.  Moreover, I been able to ignore the Lord's heart for orphans because I am mom, with a young family and what about them?! Until now, I have felt justified and right in letting others go because I felt exempt due to my beautiful, little charges!  Now, don't get me wrong!  I know that God's timing is perfect and that I do have great responsibilities to my little family.  However, tonight our church's orphan care ministry is hosting a respite event for foster care families.  So, I am leaving my children(in great hands with Grandma, by the way) and loving and serving those who have not had the greatest experiences in their homes.  I am going to love on children who have never seen a mom or dad who holds your hand when you are scared at the doctor or rocks you when you're ill, who cheers for you at your baseball games or when you bring home an A.  I am going to leave my children, who are so loved and so served, to answer God's call  to "defend the cause of the orphan."  Matthew Henry's commentary puts it like this: "If Christ requires our service, affection even for the nearest and dearest relatives, and for things otherwise our duty, must give way."

In other words, just for today, I am going to step out in faith that my children are not my priority and that God is calling me to a greater purpose and spreading his hope to "the least of these." Please pray for these kids and pray for all of us that we ooze the light of Christ's love and grace to them!