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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Book Review







During my time off from school I have been busy spending my days reading some books on the subject of orphan care and adoption. The first one I read was “Small Town, Big Miracle” It was a great book and I want to recommend it to you all. Here are a few things I got out of it:
In one particular part in the book it is listing some of the most popular excuses people have as reasons not to adopt, this was by far the most convicting:

“It’s really not convenient.” And here is what the author answers with:
To be blunt, this isn't about you. It’s about the children. It’s not convenient for a two-year-old girl to waddle around in the same diaper all day, alone in her house. It’s not convenient for a six-year-old to steal from the store so he can feed his little sister at home. It’s not convenient for a five-year-old to be beaten up by a drunken dad. No I am not sensationalizing. These are real-life stories happening right around you-in your town. You don’t foster and adopt for your own gratification. You do it for the kids’ sake. You do it with the same unconditional love Jesus gave you. I've been as frank and honest as I can, giving you some of the roughest cases we've had with adoption. Yeah, it’s tough. Adoption isn't for wimps. But when you partner with God to rescue a child, when God chooses you to pluck her out of a living death, there is no reward like it-to hear her laugh for the first time, to see her chase her new found friends in the playground, to feel her little arms around you as you kiss her cheek good night.”

“Think about this-when you reach out to the orphan, you’re reaching out to one of your own. Because we’re all adopted. (God predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ-Ephesians 1:5). God rescued us from bondage, from fear, and He adopted us as His sons and daughters. He gave us His name and gave us a new start. So now we can call Him Daddy (Abba, as in Romans 8:15). This awesome Dad has given us a rich gift, and He wants us to pass it on. He longs to reach out to the kids who have been left behind, to the kids who are hopelessly shifted from foster home to foster home. And He want to use our arms, your arms. God calls us to rescue these kids from bondage and fear, and adopt them as our sons and daughters. To give each one a new name and a new start.”

“Here’s the model: God chose us. He expects the best from us. He loves us and adopts us. Through Jesus, He freely gives us His grace.
We Chose our child. We expect the best from her. We love her and adopt her. Through Jesus, we freely give her grace.
God rescued us from the darkness and bondage and brought us into the light and freedom. We rescue our child from darkness and bondage and bring her into the light and freedom.

The above quotes were taken from the book “Small Town, Big Miracle”
Martin,Bishop W.C. Small Town, Big Miracle. Tyndale House Publishers. Copyright 2007.


More book reviews coming soon.

2 comments:

Annie said...

This book was given to me as a gift, but I haven't had time to pick it up yet. It looks good, though. Thanks for your review!

Molly said...

I loved this book as well!! Sweet story and very inspiring!