I Had To Share This ...

I needed to read this blog today ... and I thought that you might need to read it too. I found this post over at Kim's blog and I knew that there would be someone else out there that might not follow her blog that needed to read it .... BECAUSE I DID!


Saturday, July 10, 2010 Fundraising...and why I think everyone should do it!

Many of us in the adoption world are affectionately referred to as "fundraising families". For the purpose of this post we will go with FF for short. Our numbers are growing...and for good reason.

...and those who "affectionately" refer to us are basically...well...US! We are a tight bunch. We empathize, sympathize, strategize, rationalize, visualize and sometimes even hypothosize on what all this fundraising stuff really means.

I won't quote the source, because I don't have hard numbers, but I heard it said not too long ago that the number of families entering the adoption journey that will be fundraising families will be 8 out of 10. 80% !!! and for what it is worth, the source provides adoption grants so they would be in the know. So, being a FF that is in the homestretch of this part of the journey I thought I would share a few thoughts on what I have learned thus far. I guess I'll start off by being a "negative Nellie" and then end on a super positive note.

Fundraising Fact #1
It's hard.
There is no easy way around it. It is simply hard. And with hard comes "not always fun" as well. Oh, it is loads of fun when the t-shirt orders are pouring in and the agency deadline is far enough away you are pretty optimistic it will all come together before it's due.(By the way, we missed the deadline more than once with our agency...) But there are the many days where there is just silence. One of the plagues in Exodus was darkness. God's word says the "darkness was so strong it was felt" Exodus 10:21 (my paraphrase). Well, in fundraising, there is silence. Often, the silence is so loud it is heard. And that silence leads to discouragement, lonliness and even despair. Which leads us right back to "hard and not always fun". Even those in the cyber community that make it look easy will admit it is hard, but each will also admit the "hard" is worth every single tear, cry and groan.

Fundraising Fact #2The 80/20 rule seems to apply, especially early on. Actually, according to other FF's it is really more like the 90/10 rule. In other words, 90% of the funds raised seem to be given by only 10% of the people who you are journeying through life with. And while your heart is strengthened by these generous donors, you realize the entire 30-34K (current Ethiopian costs) cannot be obtained by these precious few...and they realize it, too. Which leads us to...

Fundraising Fact #3"Where did everybody go?"
They didn't go anywhere. You did. They are where they have always been and probably where you once were as well. You have in your life your "go to" people. We girls call it our "go to girls" Always there for each other, always will be. But the fact is many others are just not going to understand with their heads or their hearts where you are going. It just is what it is. They may smile and admire what you are doing but the truth of the matter is they just don't get it and THAT IS OKAY!
When my 12 year old was questioning the lack of support at one point I tried to put it in a way he could understand. I told him his sister was kidnapped and I needed a million dollars ransom to save her and could he help me? He looked at me long and said, "I can't, I don't have it to give" My point to him was not the money but to drive home the fact that you can't give something you don't have to give. For some reason known only to their hearts, these "where did everyone go'" people don't have the support to give... money completely aside. You have got to let yourself off the hook with this one. The time and heart energy wasted on trying to convert even closest friends and family members is not yours to take on. Surrender it and give it back to God. It's His job. Can He use you? Sure, but probably not in the way you envision right now. Let it go or at the very least, put it on the back burner for now... Cause here's the deal... God has called you to an incredible journey. He is entrusting you with that which breaks His heart. It is so clear in His word He favors the orphan, widow and the least of these. He trusts YOU to steward this journey, not them, at least not now. Whether these people around you ever "get it" or not, whether they come around and support you with a financial gift or fundraising support or emotional support or not... That is THEIR journey!
Take your eyes off them and put them on Him. He will amaze you with new people who will encourage you in so many ways. Some of people I thought would walk shoulder to shoulder with us simply can/will not. Others I knew only as acquaintances I am now "doing life with". God is drawing together a community...He's good like that. I was discussing the plagues in Exodus with my husband and was amazed at how God continued to harden Pharaoh's heart over and over. But you know, others needed to SEE. They needed to see God's power and believe. The same is true for some hardended hearts that are watching your journey.

Fundraising Fact #4God funds what He favors.
I know, on the "silence" days, you really wonder if it will all come together. Let me let you in on a simple truth I wish I had embraced early on. It's real deep so steady yourself. It is four simple words but full of truth...

It is already done.

I told you it was deep. It really and truely is...already...done! It is already accomplished. It just has not been delivered yet and the reason it has not been delivered yet is because God has a purpose greater than the adoption costs going on here. Your journey will look like what He needs it to look like. Fraught with struggles and successess. Covered in tears and triumphs. Filled with hope, dreams, faith-building and worship. Because it really is not about you and it really is not about that orphan. It is about Him and it is about the Gospel. Each of these little journeys is a picture of the Gospel. No wonder it costs so much. For Jesus, it cost his life. No wonder it is so hard. No wonder "others" don't have it to give. No wonder.
Being the picture person I am, I liken the journey of my family and your journey to pieces of a big, beautiful painting...sort of picture tiles building aside and on top of each other to form the final masterpiece. As I said before, our "tiles" will take as long as He needs them to take and will look like what He desires them to look like so that He can draw the other tiles pieces that will form around ours and continue to form the grand picture . Wow... I'm sure that was full of theological holes but that's what I wish I had known from day one.
So I know that was only 4 fundraising facts and there is time (cause we're in the WAIT) for another post to share about specific fundraisers, but that is just some of my thoughts on the "behind the scenes" of being a FF. I would not for a minute disuade you from entering the journey of adoption due to lack of funds but rather encourage you to take the next step. You don't have to have the end in sight. You don't even have to have the step after the next step in sight. You just have to start. A fence is no place to sit. No matter how you dress it up, a fence is a fence and it's just a barrier. Hop off one side or the other. You've already been on "that"side. And while it may be safe, your "picture tile" is losing it's color. Watch as He blows your socks off with what He will do with your story. In the end, there WILL be enough, because He is enough.
He promises.