Ok…Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out last week.  I found myself drooling over my computer as I read reviews and feasted on eye-popping graphics.  I even dragged my wife over to my screen so she could share in my excitement, but she just stared at me with blank eyes and said, “I don’t get it.”  I carefully walked her through the new features and design enhancements of the game thinking that might help.  Nope.  Nothing.  Just a gentle smile to let me know she cared but I was definitely alone in my enthusiasm for this moment.

So here’s the point (if you actually need one beyond the video game) – several months ago, we decided to adopt.  The decision hit so quickly that it knocked the wind out of me, igniting a passion for orphans and Africa that I never expected.  Now I’ve been passionate about things before…started nonprofits, held fundraisers, designed collateral, blah, blah, blah…but this is different.  A true call of duty.  Since making our decision, we have received tremendous support from friends and family.  But every now and then a person stares at me from across the table with blank eyes and says, “I don’t get it” – even when I lay out all the reasons.  This bugs me.  After all, I’m an ENTJ; it’s in my DNA to convince people, even if it means I’ll lose friends and alienate family. However, I’ve recently come to realize something: they don’t have to “get it” to care about me or even support me.  It’s my call of duty not theirs. 

Romans 14:1 (The Message) says it all: “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with — even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.”