This Sunday, November 4th, is Orphan Sunday. I am glad that there is at least one day dedicated to bring awareness of the orphan crisis within the church. However, shouldn’t the church’s response to the 210 million orphans expand beyond one Sunday?
Adoption should be a part of our churches. The church should respond and help families in the process of adoption, and not forget that the real hard work begins when the child comes home (not before). With the large number of churches, funding adoptions should not be an issue. And for the Christian families that live in comfort and are content with life, I often wonder, why not bring a hurting child into that wonderful family you have created (with God’s help, after all HE is the one that provides for ALL our needs). I don’t want this to be a “guilt” message, but there are too many indifferent Christians. Sure, we care, and we feel for the cause, but how many people actually ACT and do something about it?
If you can’t adopt, then when was the last time you sent a check to a family struggling to fund their adoption? Did you think maybe you could skip the run to McDonald’s, or wait for that new pair of jeans? Have you considered that maybe this Christmas your children don’t need several material things, but instead you could use the excess money and contribute to an adoption so that ONE child can have the gift of a FAMILY?
Your don’t have to adopt, you can give…and you can pray. Is your heart burdened enough that you offer your prayers for the orphans? Are you on your knees asking God to raise up His people and rescue these children? Are you moved by the plight of the orphan? There are more than 210 million orphans in the world today, surely you can pray. Wake up church, we have a call! Yes, we are commanded to care for the orphan, are you doing your part?
Adoption is hard, really hard. It is an exhausting emotional journey and yes, at some point you might wonder if you made the wrong choice. But it does get better, and life resumes with a new normal. And then love grows, and there is joy, and there is an incredible thankfulness for this child you now call your very own. Seeing life through the eyes of a once-orphan child is a gift. It is life altering. Adoption is WORTH the sacrifice. Adoption is WORTH the trials. Adoption is WORTH the tears. Because adoption is God’s heart, is it yours?
Get the word out, spread the message, act!
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I had no idea there were that many orphans in the world 🙁
Sad, isn’t it? This is where the starfish story is powerful, I might not change the crisis for all the orphans, but I can change it for one. 🙂
I’m learning the needs, and the ways to help, are more shades of grey than black and white. While many child are essentially orphaned as you know not all of them are available to be adopted. As you also know not everyone has the means or heart to adopt, but everyone can do something. As I’ve begun to respond to God’s heart for the needy and abandoned I realize it’s an uphill battle and I will have few people working with me. But I am so thankful for the few that do respond to God’s call and I’m thankful that ultimately it’s God’s plan of mercy I’m joining, I would be overwhelmed otherwise! Each success story make it worth it!
I would love to be able to adopt. But here in Australia, we cannot bring in a child from overseas who has any sort of health condition or disability. We are not Australian, and we had trouble getting Permanent Residency because our Australian born child has Down Syndrome. This country is not very accepting of those with disabilities. There is some help available, and there are some good organisations, but because we have a public health system, these children are considered a burden, and unwelcome.
So I pray, and I give to various adoption funds. But my heart does not feel satisfied. I want to live the life you live, opening my home to these little ones. May we will look into special needs foster care. I know there is a need for that here. I know it is not the right time for us. But I so want to do whatever it is that God has in mind!
Can you believe, we considered fostering or adopting a child with DS for many years before we had Samara? Yet when she was diagnosed I spent the next 24 hours sobbing my heart out. God had given me the longing of my heart, without the added burden of lawyers and social workers, yet here I was a blubbering mess! The human heart is so hard to understand!
Carolyn, if this is what God has for your family, it will happen, right now you are helping so many kids come home. Finances are huge when it comes to adoption. So thank you! Thank you for investing in the lives of orphans!