How It Happened

In December of 2010 I graduated with my Masters Degree in Theological Studies. While I was working on my masters I would go to the local used book store and look for any book that I could use as a "Scholarly Source." This is any book that basically had footnotes in it.  As I browsed the Christian book section, I would open a book and look for footnotes.  Content didn’t matter.  Just as long as it was in the Christian book section AND it had those magical footnotes, it made it into the Finch library.  One such book was entitled Red Letters.

One day my wife Jennifer had finished her latest book and walked into the little library looking for something new.  She stumbled on to the book Red Letters.  Like me when I picked it up, she assumed it was about the words of Jesus.  Well, in a way it was.  It was not about the words Jesus spoke in the New Testament, but about the words Jesus would speak to our hearts.

The book Red Letters is actually a book about the AIDS epidemic in Africa.  It is very heavy.  Half way through the book Jennifer came to me and said she could not finish the book.  She told me what it was about.  To which I said, OK.  Still we would leave for our daughters swim practice and I would grab the IPad, and Jennifer would pick up Red Letters.

Almost at the end of the book Jennifer was very moved by what she had  read.  But why could she not put the book down?  Why had she read this heart breaking book?  She was only one woman in Chattanooga, TN.  What could she do about AIDS in Africa? So she bowed her head and asked God these questions.  Then as God will do, He answered.  “Jennifer, I have given you a heart to love.  You can love one child.”

The next chapter was about adopting from Africa.  Jennifer prayed again, “God, if we are to do this, I can’t do it over the phone.  There will have to be an agency near Chattanooga that I can go talk to.”  The next chapter in the book recommended a couple of adoption agencies.  You guessed it.  One of them has an office here in Chattanooga.    

 I remember when Jennifer approached me about adopting from Africa.  We were standing in the living room, and as casually as you suggest you need milk from the story, Jennifer said, “Chris, I need to talk to you about something.  I want you to pray about adopting from Africa.” 

Her words were like warm soup on a cold day.  I felt a warmth sweep over me, smiled, and said, “OK!”  Off we went on this journey to seek after God.  God so loved us that He gave his only Son so that we too can be adopted into His family. 

This blog will be our record of our journey to put actions to the Red Letter spoken to our hearts.