NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — While performing concerts around the country, Dove Award-winning Christian recording artist Mark Schultz often shares his testimony and personal story of adoption in hopes of raising awareness for orphan care and helping young families recognize this desperate need.
Mark Schultz
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“It must have been so hard for my biological mother to give birth to a baby and say with tears in her eyes: ‘There’s so much I want to give you that I can’t. So, I’m going to love you by giving you to someone who can take care of you,’” Schultz said.
“That’s amazing to me, and every day I’m grateful for the parents who adopted me when I was two weeks old and helped me to become the person I am today.”
Schultz hopes that having his songs featured on national television programs such as 48 Hours and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will provide opportunities to spark conversations with non-Christians and lead them into a relationship with Christ.
His latest album, Come Alive, is a collection of songs that explore life’s greatest joys and toughest challenges while celebrating God’s presence in every moment.
“I would hope that as people listen to these songs and identify with the struggles, that they would know that God is the same through the struggles as he is during the triumphant moments,” Schultz said. ”His love and faithfulness never change.”
Desiring to help make a difference in the lives of orphans, Schultz went on a 3,500-mile bicycle ride across America in 2007, which raised more than $250,000.
As a strong advocate for adoption, Schultz and his wife, Kate, who is a doctor, are considering adopting children with special needs.
“My wife came home one day from the hospital and brought up the subject,” Schultz explained. ”She asked me what I thought about adopting children with special needs, even children that the doctors believed would only live a short time on this Earth. She lovingly said that caring for children in this situation is something we should consider and pray about for our future.
“She shared: ‘Before they go to heaven, I want them to experience what a great Christmas is like, what a great birthday is like and most importantly, let them know they are loved well on this Earth — before they get to heaven and are held in the arms of God.’ The more I thought about it, I realized that as Christians, we are called to love. If that means loving a baby that will be here seven minutes or 70 years, it’s showing love that makes a difference.”
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Leann Callaway is a freelance writer in Irving, Texas.