Today we got word that our adoption application has been accepted. The next step is a two-day class and a large chunk of money due. Then comes the home study and an even larger chunk of money due.

It’s exciting to be moving forward. It’s also cool to be doing something so big. Granted adopting one child isn’t much in the grand scheme of six billion people, and the large chunk of change we need isn’t much considering what we just paid for a house. But adopting one child is huge in the scheme of my life and the life of my family and the life of that child. You could say it’s everything.

I think the Christian life should appear radical to an outsider, full of enormous loving actions that just don’t make sense. I think this is one of those actions. I don’t mean to minimize the small loving actions—like sponsoring a child or fasting for 30 hours or whatever. Everyday, small actions are just as important. But it’s another thing entirely to devote your life to a cause.

I’m not saying I’m some great orphan crusader. I’m not dedicating my life to that cause, but I am opening my heart and home to a new life and that’s a cause in itself that I’m wholly devoted to.

What I’m trying to say is that the Christian life should be something of consequence, through both everyday and once in a lifetime radical actions. Whether that’s giving a child a home or leaving your comfortable culture to spread God’s love in a strange land or forgoing a new car so you can fund someone else’s dream or pouring hours of your life into squirrelly teenagers or whatever it is you do. This attitude should define our lives in both big and small choices. That doesn’t always happen in my life, and what I’m trying to say is I’m joyful to see it happening now.

Sometimes as an idealistic young person we talk a big talk. It’s nice to be doing something to walk the walk.