"Do you think God's gonna punish me for that?"

"Do you think God's gonna punish me for that?"

All of the inmates got quiet and looked at me.  I was in a large community cell deep in the Fayette County Detention Center talking to a guy in an orange prison jumpsuit, and he was telling me about messing his life up on drugs, having fourteen children by eleven different women, and trying to get closer to God and change his life.

He had just told me about constantly doing the wrong thing.  Then he asked that bombshell question.  I really didn't know what to say, but one thing was for sure- it was a question on every single one of the inmates' minds.  They all knew I was a minister.  Their entire lives had been one of punishment for what they had done.  It was their world.  They were used to getting caught, getting punished- in other words, they were used to judgment.  They wanted to know if they could expect more of that, not only from the justice department, but also from God.

How would you answer that question? 

I've never felt uncomfortable being in the prison.  By the way, when we go into the prison to teach fatherhood skills to the inmates, they don't come out to the visitor area.  We go through door after door after door into the very heart of the prison right to where the inmates live.  For two hours a week, I'm literally an inmate.

But I've never felt uncomfortable there.  I actually wish I could be there more often.  See, the gospel was intended to be a blessing to people who are broken and hurting.  Jesus' message of redemption and forgiveness and grace resounds with people who have no illusions of their own goodness.  People like the guys in the prison.

It's sad that I see more hunger for God in prison than outside the prison.

I have had more conversations about God, more chance to share my testimony, and been asked more questions about faith in my visits to the prison than I ever have anywhere else.  And when I share with these men, who are used to nothing but punishment and judgment, the wonderful story of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for their sins, it is like nothing I've ever experienced before.

The man in the orange jumpsuit was a black man.  A man from a different race.  We really had nothing in common.  He grew up in the inner city- I grew up in the wealthy suburbs.  He had children by 11 different women- I have children by my wife of seventeen years.  He is an inmate- I am a minister.  And yet, as he asked me that question, I sensed we had more in common than most people would imagine.

This man standing before me had become a Christian while in prison.  I asked him if he had a Bible.  He lifted up his mattress and pulled out a Bible that looked like it had been through the ringer (definitely more worn than the Bibles I see on Sunday morning) and I went to the story of the thief on the cross in Luke 23.  (Advice to Christians, when dealing with hurting, broken people, always, and I mean ALWAYS, take people to the cross.  Take them to the greatest story of mercy, grace and hope ever written.)

I still had not answered his question.  Instead, I read the following from Luke 23:39-43:

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I read that loud enough for all the inmates in the room to hear.  I didn't really have to- they were already quiet.  I closed the Bible and handed it back to the man.  I said, "Jesus said that to a thief.  A criminal.  Do you think He would tell you anything different?"

He continued looking at the Bible, but he nodded his head.  He asked me if I could stay a little longer and talk some more, but I had a meeting to go to.  I told him that next week, I would schedule some time and we could go through more of the Bible together.  He thanked me and made me promise to be there next week.

I shook hand with all the guys, and then I said, "Guys, you may not believe this, but I actually really look forward to Tuesday mornings.  I really enjoy coming to see you all."

One of the guys said, "Man, thank you for coming.  You don't know how much we appreciate it."

I wonder how many of these guys would ever set foot in a church.  Probably not many of them.  But the hunger for grace, the hunger for God's word, the hunger for redemption- believe me, it's alive and well.  If criminals won't come to church, then I guess the church has to go to them.  I think that's been Jesus' plan all along.

When I come to the end of my ministry career, I would imagine that I will look back and see the time I got to read Luke 23- Jesus's amazing words spoken to a criminal 2000 years ago- to a roomful of inmates as one of the most memorable and most important things I ever did to bring the message of Jesus to a hurting world.  I wonder if I'm being as big a blessing to them as they are to me.  God is good.

You Should Hate Welfare

NewsFlash- 101 million Americans receive some kind of food assistance from the government.
NewsFlash- 97 million Americans are employed in the private sector.

You should hate welfare.  You should hate it with every fiber of your being.

If you need it, take it.  That's what it's there for.  If your children are starving and you have no other option, take it and use it.  Feed your family and make sure they are healthy.  But make sure you hate it.

Make sure that every time you receive a check from the government, you despise it.  Make sure that every time you receive that check, it burns you up and provides new motivation to better yourself and get off welfare as soon as possible.  Make sure that you feel embarrassed by that check, and vow to yourself that you will do everything to never need the government again.

Why? Dave, aren't you being mean?  Aren't you criticizing the poor?  Absolutely not.

If I were a sadistic parent wanting to control my kids, you know what I would do?  I would buy them everything they wanted.  I would shower them with money and gifts.  Why would I do this?

Because the very second I wanted them to do something, I would threaten to take it away.

See, when an authority such as a parent or a government gives you something for free, it automatically gives them leverage over you.  I want my kids to be in a 10 pm?  Take away their allowance.  They'll be in by 10.  Oh yes, they will.  They want the allowance too badly.

Government wants you to vote a certain way or stop being critical of it?  Take away the welfare.  Oh, yes, the people will shut up.  They need what the government provides too badly to fight it.

This is why you should hate welfare.  This is why you should hate food stamps.  This is why all the government freebies should be looked upon with disdain and suspicion and yes, hatred.  People who need something from the government are not free.

Not only this, but until people provide for themselves, they never actualize their full potential.  Look at what welfare does to people.  Does it provide more dignity?  Does it provide a higher self-esteem or greater sense of charity and generosity?  Does it make people more loving, kind, responsible, or self-motivated?  No.  It does none of these things.  People were designed to be independent- to only depend on God.

If the government were to come up to me and say, "We don't like your blogs or your ideas.  We want you to stop preaching on this or that or the other,"  I would tell them to get lost.  Why?  Because I don't need anything the government provides.  They have no leverage over me.  They can't take away my food stamps- I don't use food stamps.  They can't take away my welfare check- I don't get a welfare check.  They can't take away my subsidized health care- I don't get subsidized health care.  I suppose they could take away my freedom, but then again, they could take away anyone's freedom.

However, suppose I was on food stamps.  At first, I saw it as a benefit.  Then, after a while, I grow used to them and adjust my lifestyle to include them.  Then, I depend on them.  All of a sudden, the government comes to me and says, "We don't like your blog or your ideas.  We want you to stop preaching on this or that or the other.  If you don't, we're taking away your food stamps."  I go into alarm mode.  I've patterned my lifestyle around what the government gives me.  Now they have leverage over me.  Now they can tell me what to do- what to say, how to vote, what to think.  I humbly succumb to their wishes and start preaching watered-down messages that threaten no one in power.  See the problem?

Only when people don't need what others can provide are they free.  Yes, people- if you love freedom and liberty, you should hate welfare.  You should despise it.  Like I said earlier, if you need it- if you are faced with starvation, you should take it.  That's what it is there for.  But you should hate it.  You should vow to be on it as short a time as possible, because while you are receiving government assistance, you are its boy.  You are its slave.  It can control you, because you need what it can give you.

This news report that 101 million Americans receive some kind of food assistance from the government, including 48 million on food stamps, should alarm all of us.  That means there are 101 million Americans that need what the government provides.  101 million Americans that today are not free.  101 million Americans that can be told what to do by the government.  This statistic is a threat to liberty and freedom.

I've learned in life that nothing is free.  Everything comes with a price.  I wonder if the 101 million Americans that receive food benefits from the government know this.  You can bet the government does.

Beware of Guilt Parenting

Parents aren't perfect.  We screw up.  Some of us screw up a lot. 

Because of this, many of us do something really stupid. 

We base our decisions on what to do as a parent, not on what is best for the child, but because we think we owe our children something.  This is known as Guilt Parenting.

For example, we all know that divorce is a prevalent thing in our society.  Parents know that divorce is rough on the kids, and rightly or wrongly, many parents blame themselves for allowing their marriages to fall apart.  They feel that they have robbed their children of a two-parent home, caused all kinds of issues for their kids, maybe even scarred them for life.

So, in order to make up for this, when the kid stays out too late, the parents let it go.  After all, the parents owe the kid something due to the divorce, right?

Or, the parents shower their kids with gifts and toys.  Whatever the kid wants, the kid gets.  Why?  Because getting everything you want is good for the kid?  No.  The kid gets what he wants because the parents feel guilty and feel that they "owe" the child something.

While this may allow the parents to sleep a little better at night, it is awful for the kids.  Guilt parenting sets the kid up for failure, because- NEWSFLASH- no one other than their parents will make decisions about them based on guilt.

Their employers won't allow them to be late to work.  Their spouses won't cater to their whims or buy off their affection.  No one else will treat them in this way.  Guilt parenting robs a child of a strong sense of right and wrong, a sense of responsibility, and self-discipline.  Without realizing it, parents create a monster while trying to tame the guilt monster within themselves.

I was at the Fayette County Detention Center this morning, teaching fatherhood skills to inmates.  During the introduction time, I asked the guys how many kids they had and how old they were.  One inmate to my immediate left, a man whose shaved head was covered with tattoos, said, "I got four.  Three out there and one sitting right next to me."  He pointed to the younger man sitting next to him.  Then he added, "Pretty pathetic, huh? We're both in here together."

Here was a man with a lot of guilt.  Now, most of the people reading this blog aren't sitting in jail next to their children saying, "Pretty pathetic, huh?"  However, I would imagine that there are quite a few that are sitting at home or at work and are looking at their family life saying,  "Pretty pathetic, huh?"  They look at their own broken lives full of financial mismanagement, broken marriages, broken relationships, dumb decisions, tempers lost (at their children), and they say, "I owe my kids.  I've hurt them; I've ignored them, I've yelled at them, I've made decisions selfishly and it's affected them negatively.  I owe them."

Yes, you owe them.  But you don't owe them leniency or new toys.

You owe them the gift of a parent who doesn't parent out of guilt.

You owe them boundaries and consistency.

You owe them discipline and correction.

You owe them love and affection.

You owe them your time and sacrifice.

You owe them wise decisions, made after prayer and seeking the Lord in Scripture.

You owe them a stable home, not one built on chasing fantasies or emotions or what is cool or popular, but built on what will last for eternity.

You owe them the chance to fall flat on their faces and take responsibility for their laziness, mistakes, and rebellion.

Yes, parents, you owe them.  But you also don't owe them.

You don't owe them popularity or coolness with their friends.

You don't owe them happiness or ease.

You don't owe them new gadgets and toys and clothes and shoes.

You don't owe them the right to do whatever they want, whenever they want.

You don't owe them your silence or apathy.

You are the parent.  Guilt parenting will never raise healthy well-adjusted kids.  It won't even alleviate the guilt you feel inside.  Only God can do that.  I have never seen a good decision be made while guilt was the driving force behind it.  I've never seen views or attitudes that were shaped by guilt benefit anyone.  Guilt muddies the waters and makes otherwise rational people do very foolish and stupid things.

Stop parenting out of guilt.  Start parenting out of love.

The Rise of the New American Aristocracy

"Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- the Lord detests them both." -Proverbs 17:15

"See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her—but now murderers!"- Isaiah 1:21


Benghazi, Fast and Furious Scandal, IRS being used as a political tool to punish conservatives, EPA scandal, NSA surveillance, DOJ intimidation of the press.  All of these things have one thing in common:  not one person has been brought to justice because of them.

Nor will they be.  I think we in America know this to be true.  At the end of the day, Eric Holder will still be Attorney General, Lois Lerner will still work for the IRS (now she's in charge of enforcing Obamacare), Obama won't be impeached, Hillary Clinton will be nominated for president, and business will continue as usual.  

Why?  Why are these people allowed to get away with such incredible crimes, despising the Constitution and acting in such ways?

The reason is clear- we now have leaders in Washington that are above the law.  

We have, in recent years, seen the rise of a new phenomenon- the new American aristocracy.  There is now a ruling class in Washington that is above the law, above accountability, and above any repercussion or consequences of their actions.  There is very little difference now between America and the fascist regimes of the first half of the twentieth century and the communist regimes of the second half of the twentieth century.  Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito, Tito- all of these leaders acted with the same impunity as our leaders in Washington do now.

Why am I writing about this in a Christian blog?  

The Bible has a great deal to say about justice.  God hates injustice.  When most Christians hear the word "injustice," we usually think of the repression of minorities, sex slavery around the world, exploitation of the poor, etc.  However, the biggest injustice today exists with the most powerful people in the world- those that live in Washington DC and are charged with leading this country.

Proverbs 17:15 says that God hates it when those that are guilty are acquitted.  Christians, sometimes our understanding of grace makes us think that we should let evildoers off without any punishment at all.  This is completely wrong.  God calls us to free the innocent AND punish the guilty.  Where there is no justice, there can be no love.  Where there is no justice, the people become jaded and cynical and distrustful.  We can already see that happening in America.

The new American aristocracy- the new above-the-law-privileged-class in America- laughs at us.  They thumb their nose at any attempt to hold them accountable.  Without any shame at all, they look at the American people with condescending smiles on their faces and say, "There, there, good little sheep- we know what's best for you.  Isn't it so cute that you all think we are doing the wrong thing?"

Then, to show their utter contempt for the American people and for justice, the perpetrators are then given promotions and huge monetary bonuses.  Yes- Lois Lerner has been promoted from head of department for tax-exempt organizations to head of department for the enforcement of Obamacare.  The new IRS head, in his first act of office, gave out $70 million in bonuses to his employees.  The new American aristocracy.

One of the prophet Isaiah's harshest criticisms was of the Israeli government, as seen in Isaiah 1:21.  In fact, Isaiah starts out his prophetic warnings, not against the people of Israel, but against the government that was leading the nation astray.  Yes, we can as Christians demand that our government act with honesty and forthrightness without "being political."  Isaiah wrote that the city which was once full of justice was now full of murderers.  Now, was Isaiah being "too political?"  Was he afraid of losing his tax-exempt status?  Was he not extending love and grace and mercy?

No, Isaiah was doing something that has been lost in America- he was speaking the truth.  He was speaking the very words that God gave him to speak.  And the truth in America is this- we now have leaders in Washington that will never be held accountable for their actions, because they are in a new class.  An aristocracy.  A privileged, powerful class that has a different set of rules than everyone else.  

Unless this new phenomenon is brought back into American law and held accountable, we can expect to see fewer and fewer scandals- because they will no longer be scandals.  They will be the actions of a group of people above the law and above accountability.  We will see rampant trashing of the Constitution and outright criminal behavior, but it won't be criminal behavior.  Criminal behavior is only for people who can be arrested and imprisoned.  This won't apply to the new aristocracy.

It is time for Americans to call for justice at the highest levels of government before it is too late.  Isaiah's warnings to Israel went unheeded.  God's judgment came next.  Do we in America think we will be any different?

Today, I got a letter from Jesus

It was posted to my Facebook wall.

The top half was written in a language I don't understand.  Underneath, however, was the written translation in English.  It said:

"Beloved David and family,

My name is Tejaswini and by grace of God and your prayers and support I am studying well.  I have no one on this earth, but God has given me a beautiful family.  I am very excited about this.  I believe God gave me new parents.  I never write letter like this before.  Waiting here for your arrival.

Yours,
Tejaswini

Tejaswini is one of the orphans that lives in our Catalyst orphanage in India.  My family sponsors her monthly, and we write to her occasionally.  This letter, however, was completely humbling to me.

Here is an 8-year old girl with no one to call family.  She has no mommy, daddy, brothers or sisters.  She is completely alone in the world, apart from the wonderful people who run the orphanage.  The new family she was referring to in the letter is my family, thousands of miles away.  The new parents she was referring to are myself and my wife, thousands of miles away.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable where He gathers all of humanity before Him at the end of the age.  He separates the good from the bad, as a farmer separates sheep and goats.  He says to the righteous ones, "Come into heaven, all of you, and take your reward.  For I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was sick and in prison and you came to visit Me."  The people respond, "What are you talking about?  When did we ever see you like that?"

Jesus replies, "Whatever you did for the lowest, the least, the most vulnerable- you have done this for Me."

Orphans are the most vulnerable people in society, with the possible exception of the unborn.  They have no one- no one to tuck them in at night, no one to show them how to brush their teeth, no one to read them stories at night, no one to protect them from evil people.  They have no one providing for them, sheltering them, encouraging them, complimenting them, or teaching them life skills.

They are not adults.  They do not have the ability to care for themselves or provide for themselves.  They are children.  Children who were created by God but who have been denied the blessing of loving parents.  They are the most vulnerable people in society.

They are also Jesus.

When I send sponsorship money each month to our orphanage, I'm actually sending it to take care of Jesus.  When I write a letter to encourage these children, I'm actually writing to Jesus, for as the Scriptures say, "Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for Me."

When I receive a letter from one of my sponsored children, I am actually receiving a letter from Jesus.

So many people in this world say that they would love to hear from God.  They would love to see God.  They would love to know Him intimately and personally.  Here's the point- It's very easy to see Jesus:  to hear Him, touch Him, see Him face to face.  Jesus is found wherever people are vulnerable.  Wherever people are uncool, marginalized, orphaned, neglected, and handicapped, Jesus is there.

The Son of God went to a cross and died for me.  He did the most selfless and wonderful thing that's ever been done for me in my whole life.  Nothing else compares.  Jesus has given me life, eternal life, blessing upon blessing upon blessing.  I am so happy that I am able to give a little bit back- not out of obligation, but out of love.  So can you.

I love receiving my letters from Jesus.  I love the childlike wonder and simplicity that He sends in His letters to me.  Last month, Jesus sent me a letter from Haiti.  In addition to the letter, there were childlike drawings of a little Haitian girl holding hands with her American mommy and daddy.

It may be that the Christian life is no more than searching out and finding Jesus in the most vulnerable ones in society.  He is there, waiting to be loved in the people we are least likely to interact with.  He exists within the uncool, the unpopular, the invalid, the elderly, widows, orphans, handicapped, and abused.  Whatever you do for the most vulnerable in society, you do for Jesus.

God bless all of you- go out and love Jesus.

Being left out of the gay marriage conversation

I can already see it happening.

Today, the Supreme Court struck down some provisions in the Defense of Marriage Act.  All political posturing aside, what it did was pave the way for the legalization of gay marriage.

Within thirty seconds of the ruling, Facebook and Twitter lit up with posts defining the two camps:  Either you hate gay people (and so does God) or you support gay marriage.

I'm not in either camp.  And the vast majority of Christians I know aren't either.

However, I feel like I have no voice.  Unless I embrace either extreme, I am labelled as a "homophobe" or a "sellout."

But here's the truth.  I don't hate gay people.  I don't hate ANYONE.  I didn't even hate Osama Bin Laden (someone we were supposed to hate, right?), and I was sharply critical of the celebrations of his death.  The Bible says, "Do not gloat when your enemy falls, when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice; or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from them."(Proverbs 24:17-18).

I don't hate anyone.  I have gay family members- I'm heading to a 4th of July cookout with some of them next week and I'm really looking forward to it.  There are gay people that attend my church.  I'm happy they are there, and I hope they truly feel a part of the community.

I also don't support gay marriage.  I believe it is wrong.

Unfortunately, now, I am hated by both sides.  This is where a majority of Christians find themselves in this issue.  We don't hate anyone.  We don't believe God hates anyone.  We don't believe gay marriage is right.  Where is the representation for that voice in the current dialogue?

Where is the voice that is saying, "We don't have to agree with everything you do in order to love you?"  "You don't have to agree with everything we do in order for you to love us?"  Where is that voice?  Where is the semblance of reason where a Christian can love someone without agreeing with 100% of what a person does or says, and where is the semblance of reason where a non-Christian can love a Christian without agreeing with 100% of what THEY say or do?

There is none.  

There is only the neo-McCarthyism speech and thought police that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, falls into one of the two extreme camps.  Either you hate gays or you support gay marriage.  If you don't support gay marriage, you hate gays and so does God.  Or worse,  you "fear" gays and are stoking more fear. If you support gay marriage, you're a sellout and an apostate.  

Well, I'm getting tired of being forced into either of those camps.  Neither of those camps represent me.  Most Christians I know feel the exact way that I do (the ones that don't tend to think gay marriage is okay.  There isn't anyone I know that hates gay people or thinks that God does).  

So, here's my statement:  I don't support gay marriage, and I think gay people are wonderful.  I believe that God created all people in His image, and are therefore worthy of dignity and respect.  I also believe that marriage was created by God, and He set it up between man and woman, and therefore IT is worthy of dignity and respect.  That's why I believe what I believe.

I don't have to agree with your political or lifestyle stands to extend love to you, and I would appreciate it if you would extend me the same courtesy.  There.  I've said it.  

I'm not sure if I will get a firestorm on this one, but whatever you do, please try to avoid the automatic default mode of pushing me into one of the two previously culturally established camps.  I'm not in either one of them, and I'm tired of being accused of being in one of them.  Read my statement above and ask yourself, "Could there be room for people who don't support gay marriage AND don't hate gay people at all?"

The Kibler Adventure: 2013

Most of you know that I have a strong burden on my shoulders to care for orphans.  I truly believe that people, and societies, show their true character in how they treat the most vulnerable people around them.  Orphans continue to be the most vulnerable (with the possible exception of the unborn, but that's another issue) people in our society.

My family moved to our current house in 2005.  Our house was built in 1987, and still had the original A/C units.  In 2007, my wife and I wisely decided that our A/C units were on borrowed time and we began to save money so that we could pay cash when the old A/C units flew south for the winter.

This summer, our upstairs unit finally died.  So, the immediate assumption was that we take the money we saved, which was enough to get a whole new upstairs unit, and make ourselves comfortable all summer long. 

The very day that I was going to call the A/C guy, I get an email from the director of the Catalyst Orphanage in India (for those of you that don't know, our church sponsors an orphanage in Dommeru, India that houses 42 orphans) asking for prayers for the children.  A venomous snake had gotten into one of the rooms during the night and was actually curled up around the pillow of on of the boys.  An adult happened to walk through, see the snake, and kill it before it hurt any of the children.

Needless to say, the children were terrified.  I don't know about you, but I would be very hesitant to fall back asleep after seeing a snake curled around my pillow.  Ravi, our orphanage director, simply asked for prayers so that the children would be safe and be able to go back to sleep without worrying.

I found out that the children were sleeping on the floor on little more than tarps.  I also found out that when it rains, two of the rooms in the orphanage leak, and the children have to crowd into two rooms, laying side by side. 

I asked Ravi how much beds would cost for the children.  He told me, and sent me a picture of beds that he hoped he could get for the children to sleep in.  These children had NEVER slept in a bed before, and by getting them up off the ground, they would be safer from insects and snakes that might endanger them.

My wife and I sat down and discussed this need.  We had enough money to do either A/C for ourselves or beds for 42 children, but not both.  So, we were faced with a dilemma- do we spend the money on ourselves to make ourselves more comfortable, or do we spend the money on orphan children to keep them safe?

Now, believe me, this has been a difficult decision.  I hate hot weather.  It gets hot upstairs in our house, sometimes 90-plus degrees.  I hate falling asleep when it is hot.  I like a nice, cool breeze flowing over me, and I like to sleep under the covers even in July and August.  I don't think the temperature should ever get about 60 degrees . . . .  EVER.  The colder the better, in my opinion.

However, several thoughts ran through my mind.  First, the Bible says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you."  If I were an orphan sleeping on the floor, and I knew that a Christian man in America had the money to buy me a bed (we're not talking about an iPad or a video game console or designer jeans.  We're talking about a BED), what would I hope he would do?  I would certainly hope he would buy me a bed.

Second, Matthew 25 says that whatever we do for the "least of these"- the most vulnerable and helpless- we actually do for Jesus.  I realized that it wasn't just 42 children sleeping on the ground, fearful of snakes- it was Jesus sleeping on the floor fearful of snakes.  It was Jesus who, when it rains, went to sleep in a crowded room.  It was Jesus who needed a bed.  Has Jesus ever done anything for me?  Oh, just a few things- created me, sustained me, provided me with everything I have, saved me from an eternity in hell, forgiven me, led me, guided me, blessed me with more than I could ever need.  You know, little things like that.  What could I do to help Him?

Third, I realized that God was giving me and my family an opportunity for adventure.  Yes, an adventure.  We would sacrifice this summer, and then in November, when we go over to India as a family, see the results of our sacrifice.  My children will get to see 42 children sleeping safely in beds- beds made possible by their inconvenience and discomfort during the hot nights of a Kentucky summer.  I will be overjoyed to see the children, who have never slept in a bed before, hopefully jumping up and down on the beds and going to bed safe at night.

That would bring me more joy than making myself comfortable all summer long.  So, we chose to forego getting a new A/C unit and instead to send the money to get beds for the children.  I can't wait to see the orphanage in November, and see the children.  I know all the sweltering nights that are coming up will be more than worth it when we see the children this fall.

Even more beautiful, I have had so many people come up to me and offer to pay for our A/C unit themselves.  Isn't the church wonderful?  I've never seen a group of more wonderful, sacrificial, loving, earnest, forgiving, kind, and generous people.  Although the offer is tempting, I had to decline, because I wanted my family to go on an adventure.  I want my kids to be uncomfortable; I want them to know what it means to sacrifice, I want them to know that A/C is really not that big a deal.  I want this journey to be one that we take together. 

The sacrifice of this summer will make the reward in November that much sweeter.  The cool thing about it?  My wife and kids are completely on board.  There's been no bellyaching or whining or complaining at all.  They are entering the adventure willingly.  I am so blessed to be able to write about it.

After we had made this decision, the Lord woke me up at 4 am one morning and called me to prayer.  It was a beautiful time with God, and when I was done, I sent a text message to a friend of mine who is a strong believer in Christ.  We pray for one another quite often, and I wanted to share the prayer request of the orphanage with him.  He asked more about it, and I told him about our decision.  He said, "I'll split it with you."  At first, I said no.  I wanted this to be a thing that my family and I did.  However, in that moment, the Holy Spirit chided me, "Don't let pride enter the picture.  Don't make this about you.  This is about the children." 

So, I agreed.  It truly is amazing how the body of Christ works.  God brings in people from different skin colors, cultures, languages, and geographical locations and makes us into a family with one purpose.  My friend from New Jersey and my family from Kentucky are buying beds for orphans in India, simply because it's the will of God.  There is nothing more amazing than the body of Christ.  There is nothing better than His church.  How beautiful and amazing His church is.  And how beautiful is the adventure that God sends His children on.  There's nothing better.