Don't Waste Your Life

Don't Waste Your Life is the title of a book by John Piper (www.desiringgod.org) and we have met a couple on this adoption journey that remind us of that book.  In the book, Piper describes a retired couple that spend their remaining years on earth relaxing and collecting sea shells.  Piper wonders about the day they stand before God to give account for their life and wonders if they will stand before Jesus and say, "Look Lord, here are our sea shells."  Piper encourages us to live every moment to the glory of God and take every opportunity to serve Christ and people - not ourselves.

Jay and Martha - the couple that is on this adoption journey with us in Kyiv and will be with us throughout a good portion of this trip are an incredible encouragement to us and an example to us of a couple that is not wasting their life.

They worked hard for many years and recently sold their business which put them in the position to "retire" young.  They could be strolling down beaches in the sunset collecting seashells and yet they decided that God was calling them to use their "retirement" to reach out to orphans.  Their biological kids are grown and now they are adopting two boys from Ukraine to care for, love,  serve and raise in the way of the Lord.

When many people decide it is time to serve themselves, they are serving these orphans.  Thanks, Jay and Martha for your testimony of God's grace in your life and for your example of a family that will not focus on yourself when you could.  Thank you for reaching out to these two boys and spending your "retirement" years building lives and pouring yourself out to others.

May God give us all the grace we need to follow their footsteps and not waste our life by using all of our days for those things that will build his kingdom, serve others and point people to Jesus Christ.