A Really Big Idea

I am someone who believes that God can take a mess that you've made and turn it into something amazing.  Well, I have made a huge mess!  About 335 pounds to be exact!  That is my weight and I am so tired of it.  Watching my kids grow up and my waistline expand scares me to be honest with you.  I know that there is a consequence to my sin of overeating.  And I need help!


Now, before I go on, I want to inform you ahead of time that I am going to be asking you for specific help.  Help that can possibly save my life and simultaneously save the life of a boy named Peyton.  And this help that I want you to pray about and consider is financial.  With that caveat, let me continue....


Here I am, up at 2:30am on Feb.28th, 2011.  I am never up at this time!  My mind is racing with this singular thought and I'm wondering if there's any traction to it.  I'm wondering if this is my big thing, my moment to finally turn God loose in all of my life. 


You see, I lost my job as a pastor a few weeks ago and in so doing, I have had time to reflect on some things in my life.  Where I want to go?  What I want to do?  Who I want to be?  Where I have been?  And this is such a frightening time for me as a man, a father, a provider.  Because I was in this same position a couple of years ago.  During that time, I was out of work for 8 months.  Absolutely no money coming in.  But I also saw something quite clearly in that season of my life.  Something so big and huge and comforting that I'll never forget it.....the Hand of God.


He provided money for us to live off of, a place to stay, vehicles to drive, and eventually a job.  He taught me what it means to trust Him.  And our cup never ran dry.  In fact, it runneth over and over. 


And here I am again, out of work.  And guess what?  Our cup still runneth over.  God has provided miraculously for us through so many of His people!  How can I help but stand in awe of my Jehovah Jireh! 


But during this time, I have reflected on other things besides money.  Mainly, the stewardship of my body.  I am fat......REALLY fat!  And it is time to change that.  I want to lose 100 pounds before my birthday on Nov.15.  However, in this area of my life, I am SO WEAK!  I have all I need in Christ, being indwelt by His Spirit and He is sufficient.  But He gives us others to walk with us on some of life's toughest roads.  And I'm asking you to walk with me now.  I am dying faster than I know.  This fat is literally killing me.


I saw a show one time about people who wanted to lose weight.  The producers came up with the idea to externally motivate these people.  They did it by taking pictures of them in their swimwear and saying they would show these pictures on television if they did not lose the weight before the deadline.  Amazingly, almost all of them did!  They were motivated perhaps by wrong motives, but it helped them anyway.


Now, I'm not threatening to blind you with speedo pics of myself.  What I am motivated by is glorifying God.  And like I said in the 1st sentence, God loves to bring beauty out of the ashes.  Could it be that God can use my disobedient fat to still bring glory to Himself?  Could it be possible that my fat can be turned into hope and life? 


Money.  That's what this whole thing boils down to.  I propose to lose 100 pounds by Nov.15th of this year and I'm asking you to consider pledging money for every pound that I lose.  If I don't lose the 100 pounds, don't send ANYTHING!  Where will the money go? 


That's where Peyton comes in.  He is a special needs boy waiting to be adopted by a specific family whose biggest hurdle is the money it will cost to bring him home.  I don't know the boy at all, or his family.  Crazy, huh?  I was talking to my wife about doing something like this and she mentioned a website called Reece's Rainbow.  This organization helps to raise money for loving families to adopt special needs children.  And I'd really love to see the hand of God surprise the Wilson family, too, as they seek to bring Peyton home!


These international children are often raised in orphanages and transferred to institutions if they are not adopted by age 5.  Once there, 80% of them die in the first year.  Basically, their lives are in danger.


My life is in danger, too.  What if God can help me receive the accountability, motivation, and encouragement I need through His people to help a boy I don't even know to live?  That's what is keeping me up.  Why not?  And He can use you to help save my life AND Peyton's. 


I don't know how to go about this.  I don't know where to start.  I don't know what my first step is.  But I think I've found a purpose in the midst of the blessing of my unemployment.  And I'm asking you to consider "going there" with me.  I never do things like this, but I believe this can really work! 


Would you be willing to pledge 25 cents/pound?  50 cents?  A dollar? 
Would you be willing to encourage me to do this?  I need you!  My kids need you!  My wife needs you!


Would you help to save my life and start Peyton's?


Let me direct you to the blog of the family I don't know yet so you can see their journey and their heart.  http://redeemingourson.blogspot.com/  And don't forget to check out the beautiful children at Reece's Rainbow....

If you will go on this journey with me, I believe that together we will see the hand of God move.  Today, I start without knowing if I'll even get one pledge, but trusting that this is something that I'm supposed to do.....Save my life and Peyton's.

This is a scary thing to me.  Basically, I'm asking everyone I know to hold me to this.  You all are invited to motivate me and hold me accountable. 

Contact me asap if you are on board with me.  If just 10 people pledged $1/pound and I lost 100 pounds, that's $1000 for the Wilson family to bring Peyton home.  If 20 people pledged 50 cents/pound, that's still $1000 for Peyton.  The total amount they need is about $25,000 and I'd love to help put a dent in it.

I don't know how little or how much we can raise together, but it could change our lives forever.  Walk with me as I walk with God and let's see where He takes us.

Feb.28th, 2011=335 pounds.  Come see where I am at next week, my loss is Peyton's gain. 

I must be out of my mind to actually post this, but in the words of the slain missionary Jim Elliot, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Your friend,
Jay Richardson