Pots- Collectors Edition.

A friend told me a story today.
This story, actually.
I'd heard it before.
I'd read it before.
I'd studied it before.
But during our conversation, it revealed a new depth that I had not noticed before.

2 Kings 4

New International Version (NIV)

The Widow’s Olive Oil

4 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

² Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

This woman.

She is in a tight spot. 

She just lost her husband. 

She is about to lose her sons. 

She is desperate for help.
 She cries out. 
She is distraught. 
Her life is spiraling well outside what she can handle alone. 
She is pleading.
"How can I help?" He asks.
But you notice he doesn't pause for her to supply an answer. 
He doesn't wait to see what she may have in mind.
"What do you already have to work with?"
"Nothing! But.. but this small jar of oil." 
Which to her is still nothing. 

Because what is a small jar of oil worth when you are losing everyone you love? 

When you need to pay a ransom, or a debt, to be able to have your family in tact.
But he tells her, "Go ask all your neighbors for empty jars."
This is huge.
He's saying, "Go ask for help."
"Let people know that you are in need."
And then he says "Don't ask for just a few."
Be serious. 
How easy is it to ask for help?
Could you walk over to your neighbors house and ask for a bowl?
"Hi, I'm collecting bowls from everyone in the neighborhood."
"Do you have any bowls I could have?"
"I was just told to collect bowls. Lots of them."
Could you do that for everyone and every home within a 5 block radius of your house? 
How bout a mile?
Two miles?
"Don't ask for just a few."
What kind of faith this woman has to have.
How many times do you think people turned her away?
"Oh, I have bowls. But you are not getting anything of mine."
"You know, I just don't have any bowls to spare."
"Your story is sad and I wish I could help but I'm sure you'll get plenty of bowls from other people."
"I really don't see how giving you a bowl is going to help?"
"You should have bowls of your own!"
And still she went from house to house.
"Don't ask for just a few."
I imagine she gathered pots until her home was full of them.
I imagine that it took her a long while to do this.
Walking to all her neighbors.
Every person that she knows.
Every person that she doesn't know.
Asking for spare empty pots.
For whatever reason though, People gave her pots.
Maybe they thought she was crazy.
Maybe they took pity on her.
However, these people had to display the same type of faith that our woman is.
Faith that collecting these pots is going to accomplish something.
So she asks, and collects, on faith.
And the neighbors give her pots, on faith.

And then she takes her small jar of oil, which to her is nothing, and begins to fill the pots.
And fill the pots.
And fill the pots.
Until
EVERY.
SINGLE.
POT.
IS.
FULL.

Can you even imagine the joy she felt as her tiny pot of oil continued pouring well after she KNEW it should be empty?
Can you fathom the relief she must have felt?
Can you see her arms shaking, pouring the oil, her breathing quick as tears pour down her face?
Can you hear her calling to her sons to remove each pot after it is filled?
Can you see her glancing around the room at all the pots she gathered?
Can you imagine how her heart must have beat faster knowing that all her asking, all her begging, all her humiliation at gathering those pots was going to be well worth it?
Because God is working a miracle in her home? 

God provided for this woman. He provided the oil.
But She had to gather the pots.
And Her neighbors had to provide her with that support.
And in turn, her neighbors were rewarded with oil that they could purchase from her.
Oil that may have been very hard to come by, suddenly is available.

Because She had the faith to ask for the pots.
And her neighbors had the faith to give them to her.




Now tell me why I shouldn't be crying?


Because this... THIS... is fundraising.
It is work. 
It is done purely on faith.
It is hard.
It is humiliating.

God will provide what we need with this adoption.
I have no doubt that God will provide for us.
But we HAVE to ask for pots.
And our neighbors... 
and friends... 
and family... 
and people who care...
have to be willing to provide the pots to us.

So God can work a miracle in our home.

So here's my question (and I don't enjoy asking):

Do you have any empty pots?



We are collecting.

Flash Fund Raising

We have excellent news!
Over the Christmas and New years holidays, We were able to collect the very last of our paperwork needed for the home study!!! We mailed it to the agency and the home study agency has called and offered to let us go ahead and start the home visits portion of the home study while we wait for the divorce certificate to come in.
This is absolutely awesome news!

However, We were informed that we need to go ahead and pay for the home study now. Up front. Before we can start the home visits.


Ya'll know we've been fund raising for months.
Ya'll have made donations.
Ya'll have shopped the yard sales.
Ya'll have purchased our crafts.


And it is the saddest truth that nearly every cent we have fund raised up to this point is already spent.
On the various paperwork and things that we had to chase around and get gathered.
We have approximately $400 left from all our fundraising to apply towards the home study fee.

The fee is $2,050. This is not for paperwork.
This is the fee that the agency charges to write our home study.
And we have $400.
We are scrambling to come up with ways to meet the rest that is needed.

And I am struggling in my heart to finally be at a point where we can do this home study only to be held back by needing to pay this fee!

So This is a Flash Fund Raising effort. We need this fee covered quickly.
If you'd like to make a donation, you can make one here at the blog in the Chip In widget on the sidebar. If you're uncomfortable making a donation through the Chip In, but you'd still like to make a donation- Contact me and I can give you our mailing address.

Any amount.
Any donation.
Seriously.
If you are feeling called to help us, now is a perfect time.


We need these funds as quickly as possible.
If you feel led to make a donation, please do.
Please donate exactly as much as you are led to donate.

Our family is so thankful for every donation that has been made and we continue to be thankful for every donation that will be made. This adoption could not happen as quickly as we need for it to happen without the help of donation.

And, in the mean time,  we will be scrambling together whatever other funds we can.

Thank you!