One more lingering thought

One thought that I forgot to address in yesterday's blog post is this. I have been approached by a few people and I will not mention their names but they asked me why my family isn't adopting from America, and that they believe that we should take care of our OWN before we help others. I politely explained to each person that my family was lead by God to Ethiopia and that is easier to adopt from there than America and that is all the explanation I gave, but it stuck in my mind the question, "Who are my OWN?" and after much thought I have a better answer, a answer that I think will spark much though in your brain and if you have the same mind set as my friends hopefully this will bring a heart change.
Many times in our minds we have these boxes we put ourselves and others into whether it be color, financial status, male or female, or physical barriers like countries, but are we really that different? In the Bible there is a story that I think fits this question very well, it’s the story of the Good Samaritan.
Luke 10:30-37 Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (web)
If you are not familiar with this story then let me give you a little more information. In the days of this story Samaritans and Jews HATED one another, Jews would go as far as taking the long way around Samaria just so they didn’t have to pass through it, but this Samaritan had compassion on this man, and man he was suppose to hate. His eyes were open and in his mind there were no barriers, he didn’t see religion, color or anything else. He saw the need. So I will ask the question again "Are we really that different?" Didn’t God breathe life into all man? Didn't He come to save the WORLD? I’m sure glad Jesus didn’t see barriers because I would be burning in Hell right now and so wouldn't you. So why should we place barriers on others just because they live in another country or they look a little different? I hope that this made you think a little more about who your OWN are, it sure has me. As for me my own is the world, I will chose not to see barriers because Jesus didn’t. Just one more thought before I go, if you feel so strongly about my family adopting from America, why don't you?

Tella