We have the best friends in the whole world. Anyone that knows Ryan and Melissa Matlock know what I mean. Melissa throws baby showers, wedding showers, parties, and give birthday/christmas/house warming gifts to people like its going out of style. Her friends, her co workers, her sister's friends, her mom's friends, people she barely knows! She has one of the most giving hearts I've ever known. She has taught me a lot about serving. Ryan has been such a solid friend to my husband for many years. They are just flat amazing people with hearts for the Lord....
One thing I want more than anything in the world is to see Melissa become a mom. I always joke that she is a better mom to my children than I am. Seriously. I just wait with such anticipation for the day that they bring their child home from Bulgaria. She's already a mom in my opinion. She prays for her child, loves someone she hasn't met yet so much to pursue them, and has taken the hours and hours of time filling out paperwork, going through home studies, dr visits, consultations and anything else that is so labor intensive to adopt overseas. She has spent more time "in labor" to deliver her child than many of us ever did giving birth.
I wish I could just write them a check for the thousands of dollars it takes to adopt, but I can't. But one thing God has laid on my heart (especially through reading Jen Hatmaker's book 7...ouch) is that I can do something. I can give up something for a month and give them the money that I would have spent on myself and silly pleasures to help go toward their cost. It may not be much, but it will be a sacrifice. It's not so much about the money as it is the sacrifice. I feel God calling me to make a very hard sacrifice....drum roll please.....COKE. I started to go through my bank statement last month and calculate the money I spent on buying a fountain drink..... but even the thought of doing that horrified me because I knew that it would be embarrassing. Every time I get the urge to go to happy hour (umm....everyday) and treat myself, I won't. It's that simple. I will not spend any money on Soda in January. If I order a meal out and it comes with it, that is the only acceptable time to have my Coke. I need your accountability, I need your help! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love fountain drinks..Sadly, this will be hard. That's hard to even write or say out loud because it is such a first world problem.
Here are 3 ways you could help me during the month of January
- Go along side me. Is there something you splurge on that you could give up for 30 days? Starbucks? Happy hour drinks? Fast food? Buying something for yourself that month? I encourage you to join with me in sacrifice during the month of January. What a temporary time to make such impact for 1 couple seeking to do God's will. Think about if 25 people came together and gave up something that means something to them for the sake of helping one couple reduce the orphan population. What a statement to Ryan and Melissa of support! and think about the $$$ (25 people x $30 = 750!!!!!)
- Match my total. I am going to tally every time I would normally purchase a coke or get the urge and embarrassingly announce it at the end of the month. (I used $30 just as an example if you spent $1/day on something) Maybe you don't want to give something up, but would you be willing to match my sacrifice? If I got 5 people out there to match my $$$, instead of ME giving them around $30 WE could give them $150. If 25 people that choose to sacrifice get 5 people to match them we would then have 25 people x $150 = 3,750!!!!!!
- Pray! pray for me, pray for my poor husband having to endure a Coke-less wife for an entire month, pray for others that might engage in this challenge in january, but mostly pray for Ryan and Melissa and their child in Bulgaria. They are in the waiting phase being matched with a child.
Let's let God teach us through sacrifice during the month of January! If you feel led to join me, please message me and let's get the details worked out and accountability set up!
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