Something Weighty

If anyone knows me, they know that I have the hugest heart for adoption. I long to take the children of the world who have no one and give them a family full of love, support, grace, and encouragement. Adoption has been my deepest heart's cry as long as I can remember. I think it would be amazing to have my own children. To have children that look like me and have mine and Patrick's quirks and mannerisms. But there is something inside of me that is not satisfied with leaving millions of children on the streets, with no one there to hold them or to give them a better life. No one to give them undivided attention or take them to dance or soccer practice. No one to teach them how to share or how to navigate through the awkward middle school years. No one to just be there.

There are 143 million children in the world with no place no call home, and no woman to call "mom" and no man to call "dad." And I want to bridge that gap. I want to contribute to the number of decreasing orphans in the world. I want to adopt everyone.

Tonight I watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with the Kadzis family. This is the most inspiring family I have ever seen. For the last two hours I have been sobbing uncontrollably. George and Barbara Kadzis had a son of their own, and then they adopted 6 more children from China...5 of which have special needs. One is deaf, one is blind, two have cleft palates that have required multiple surgeries, and one is missing bones in his right arm. They live in a 4 bedroom house with 1 bathroom. About a year ago, George Kadzis found out that he had brain cancer. They removed the tumor, but said there was no way to know whether or not the cancer would return. Sure enough, the cancer returned and ravaged his frail body with no warning. It was George's dying wish that his family have a better and safer home to live in. George was on all of the videos, but when it came time to do the show, he was in the hospital. Three days after his house was finished he passed away, never having seen his dream fulfilled.

At the beginning of George and Barbara's adoption processes, George went to see Stevie Wonder in concert. He was in awe of what a miracle it was that Stevie could play the piano and compose such beautiful music, despite his disability. So George decided to find a way to use music to unite their unique Chinese family. Each child played an instrument and had composed countless of their own pieces. The last surprise for the Kadzis family was a music room, full of new instruments and equipment to record their own music. When the family walked in, Stevie Wonder was sitting down at the new grand piano playing it for the family. He continued to play while the family talked to him and asked him questions, and then he sang the song "I just called to say I love you," but he changed the words to "George just wants to say he loves you." It was George's dying wish that his family have everything they need in his absence. Stevie Wonder singing this song to them was so sweet to me.

I turned off the television having witnessed such extravagant love and devotion. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I loved watching this precious family lean on each other and teach each other. I loved watching Barbara care for her husband so well and lavish her love on him in too many ways to count. She was so proud to be his wife. She was so proud of her beautiful family. Never has anyone exemplified love the way that Barbara and George have. Love for each other. Love for not just the orphans, but for "the least of these." The very, very least of these.

"Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18