I read an extremely interesting book recently on the subject of Foster Care. You are probably wondering what in the world Foster Care has to do with the title of this post. Well, I will tell you. This book I read was one woman’s story about her experiences as a foster-mother. Before reading this book I really had no idea about Foster Care. I was just blissfully ignorant about what Foster Care was all about. Reading this book made me realize what pain and abuse happens in the world around me, that I know nothing about. I really live in an insulated world of happiness.

I think so many times as Christians we like to pretend that nothing is wrong with the world, because we don’t want to get out of our comfort zones to fix any of it. We are like ostriches who prefer to have our heads in our ostrich holes than to see the world around us for what it is. I am guilty of that. I often times just don’t want to know about things just so I don’t have to deal with the possible emotional response I might have to those things. I think God has been showing me recently that I cannot just pretend things are perfect in the world. I am called to be in the world and make a difference by doing what I can do to change those awful things. I, honestly, would prefer to just isolate myself and do nothing until God calls me home to Heaven. That would be simpler, wouldn’t it? But that is not what I am on earth for. Do I choose character or comfort? Do I choose to make a difference in someone else’s life by sacrificing my own comfort to do so?

Now that I know the truth about things like foster care or the millions of orphans around the world who are in orphanages and desperately need someone to care for them, what can I do to help? I cannot sit around and do nothing. Most of the time I think we as Christians would help if we just new about what the truth of these situations are. I challenge you to find out more about things you are passionate about. I was always passionate about adoption, being adopted myself, but I didn’t really take much time to find out the uncomfortable truths about adoption. I am working to change that. Is it comfortable to know about these things? No. But I feel it’s necessary to bring myself to the point where I have enough righteous anger and compassion to do something about it. God doesn’t want us to be apathetic and do nothing. When Jesus was here on earth who did he hang out with? Tax collectors and prostitutes. The people no one wanted to be around. Was it comfortable to hang out with those people? No. What would people think? But that is who He chose to make a priority.

I think He gives us all a passion about something. What is it that really makes you mad? Chances are that is what you are passionate about. The treatment of children really gets to me, so that is my calling. What is yours? I challenge you to find out and get out of your ostrich hole and find out the real truth of the situation so that you can then do something about it. It will not be comfortable, but those things that are worth doing are not comfortable.