Guest Post by Justin Nunes
No fear. Do you remember when that brand that was popular like, years ago? I didn’t remember it either, until about 6 months ago. 6 months ago, my wife and I began the exciting journey to adopt our first child, a son, from Ethiopia. When we first started on this road, I had many fears. My fears were different than my wife’s though. Although I was excited about becoming a dad and bringing a baby home, fear crept in. While my wife was worrying about nursery plans, I was worried about where the $30,000+ was going to come from to get him home. While my wife was talking about “attachment plans” with me, I was worrying about how I was going to connect with a child that not only didn’t have my DNA, but was born in an entirely different part of the world. While my wife was dreaming of being a stay-at-home mom, I was worrying about how I would provide for my new family.
Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond excited to become a dad, and I know that I will love my son more than anything-but I allowed fear to get in my way. I allowed the enemy to get in. I began to think about my relationship with Christ, He didn’t worry about how much it would cost Him to save my life, so I was I worrying? I am not “biologically” Christ’s son, but He adopted me as His own, we don’t share DNA, we probably don’t look alike at all, but He loves me unconditionally, so why was I worrying? If I am calling myself a follower of Christ, why was I worrying about providing for my family when HE is the provider? God was and IS bigger than all of my fears. Is God bigger than $30,000? YES! Is God bigger than a language and cultural barrier? HE IS! 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”
Why is it that we men have such a hard time talking about our fear? I know we all have it. Should we? No, but do we? Yes, we’re human. But God is so much bigger than that. I had forgotten that, I was trying to do things on my own, without asking for help (yes, typical male…)
Ephesians 3:20 has become a daily reminder for my wife and I as we walk this road to our son, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
So, I’m going to be bold and ask you to be a part of our story and our journey. My wife and I have the awesome opportunity to be the featured family on a great website called, Give1Save1. Here’s the goal, if everyone gives a dollar, we can help to get one child home. Easy right? But that’s not all, because it’s not all about us, I’m asking that you pray about what part God wants you to play in adoption and orphan care. Not everyone is called to adopt, but we as Christians are called to look after the orphan, so I ask you to be bold, have no fear and step out there in faith asking God what He might have you do.
Justin Nunes is the High School Director at Parkway Community Church in Fairfield, CA. Please head over to Give1Save1 and hear some more of their story, or check out their adoption blog and you can follow along as God writes the next chapter of the story.
