You make the call. I read this story a couple weeks ago and was saddened that anyone would adopt kids and subsequently abuse them. The vengeful part of me wanted this man and his wife hung from the nearest tree. Then I forgot about the situation and went on with my life. Today, I the headline returned, revised this time to include the man's version of this chain of events. So, if you have a spare moment or 3 and are open to a little lesson of how easily influenced I am, check out the first link, take a moment to digest, then read the 2nd link. Make sure to read between the lines on the 2nd link.
The first version of the story gives me the impression of a horrible couple adopting kids and neglecting them, to the point that their illnesses/problems have something to do with being kept in cages. The second version of the story (reading between the lines) gives me the impression of a kindhearted couple who want all children to have someone in their lives that love them, even the children labeled hopeless or worthless by the world.
Like I said, the first version made me think about how I want to personally drive to Cleveland and lynch them. The 2nd story filled my heart with compassion for these folks, made me think they were devoted to loving the most unlovable in our world--and the media labeled them as abusive? These poor people... we need more people in the world like them, taking the sick and the orphaned into loving homes...
I am easily influenced. I don't know what the truth is in this story--probably somewhere in the middle--but we need to take care of the unloved and the abandoned, the fatherless and the widowed.
I've long said that I want to adopt children. Robyn and I have discussed it, not all that recently with Toby due to arrive in a couple months. My main fear is that we won't have enough money to provide for kids of our own plus kids adopted into our family. How selfish... there are folks starving in this world, there are folks without adequate shelter, there are folks in desperate need... and I'm thinking of having enough cash in the bank to retire? Sometimes I just want to give it all away. What do I really need other than love, shelter, water, and some sort of basic nutrition? And my iPod. And my guitar. And internet is a necessity. No, really, love-shelter-water-nutrition is all I need. I'll sacrifice the music and the net...
1 John 2:17 reads The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Makes me want to give all my stuff and my desires for more stuff away, adopt as many of the needy as I can, and do my best to share with them the love of Christ. And if the needy need to sleep in cages for their own safety from themselves, that's a heckuva lot better than death from being unloved.
Did any of this make any sense, or was this a convoluted mess of a thought pattern? Maybe it's all this gloomy raininess clogging up the brainwaves... Now is the time my wife would insert her obligatory Joe Vs. the Volcano reference about my brain cloud...
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3 comments:
One of the things that sways my opinion is that the cages didn't have comfy mattresses and sheets and comforters for the kids. It's also been reported that one of the cages had a dresser up against it so that that child couldn't get out period. It's also been reported elsewhere that the children were afraid of leaving their unlocked cages because setting off the alarms made the parents so angry. I don't know where I read the article. I'm guessing USA Today. I think this is a case that's not black or white but gray. There seems to be some love and good intentions in the parents. I don't know.
I found an interesting article at http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1154252&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 sorry I don't know how to make that a nice link like you do but that should suffice.
It turns out that Mr. Gravelle has some estranged grown children that have nothing nice to say about him or their stepmom.
I still wouldn't want to be judge or jury should this case go to trial. There are so many contradictions.
"My main fear is that we won't have enough money to provide for kids of our own plus kids adopted into our family. How selfish... there are folks starving in this world..."
does it make sense to adopt a starving child to make three more starving people?
i've always agreed with the military principle that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the better. but how does that fit into servitude and loving the fatherless...
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