What will you give for love?

Today on Oprah, (yes, I know it's lame that I'm blogging about Oprah) there were several families featured. I switched it when it got to the family with "two daddies" but before that, there was a really cool segment about adoption. The story was so cool, I had to share it. An African Boys Choir was touring in North Carolina when their orphanage back in Liberia was attacked and they were left homeless, here in the states. One lady was sitting and watching them perform, and she claims that as she watched, God spoke to her heart, telling her that two of those boys were hers. (I know, I know. It sounds kooky, but it's a cool story. Just read and come to your own conclusion.) She knew about the ordeal these boys were facing, but it was too hard to imagine that she could possibly adopt two teenagers, having three young girls of her own. After the performance, two of the boys walked up to her, gave her a big hug and called her their mom. After she and her husband had discussed the whole thing, and actually agreed that they would adopt the boys, she found that her four best friends were trying to talk her out of it. She brought her friends to a performance, and they each found a change of heart. Each of their families ended up adopting as well. One woman had two sons who recently left for college, leaving her and her husband empty nesters. They adopted six kids! This spread throughout the community, and, as Oprah's website says, 14 families in the community adopted a total of 31 kids from that orphanage.

So the story really got me thinking. What would it take for me to actually take action on the needs I know to exist? These women had seen the news reports about African orphans, but by their own admission thought that the problem was just too big to possibly be able to make an impact. (Never mind the fact that if we do nothing, the problem will just be bigger.) But changing one child's life is such an impact, let alone what they ended up doing. It's interesting how we need the evidence to impact us--we need to talk to the orphans, to go to the country, to really see and smell and hear the need. Why can't we just know and do? I'm not, by any means, criticizing these women. I know I'm the exact same way--neglectful until something kicks me in the head. But really, how many steps can possibly keep us from making a difference? We can give a few dollars, and if we can't, we can volunteer for a few hours, and if we can't, we can pray. My selfish, Americanized consumer mentality has to stop. I can and must divert my views from this little plot of dirt, beyond, to the needs on the wrong side of the tracks, or to the needs far across the ocean. It shouldn't take the gigantic to make me do my small part.