Thoughts on Orphan Sunday

Across the globe, today is Orphan Sunday. It's no secret to those of you who stop by my blog that I am in Nicaragua completing the adoption of a sibling group of 4. My husband arrived on July 3rd and I came with 2 of our 3 teenagers on August 13th. We pray that by the end of this month our adoption will be complete and we'll be preparing for our return to the United States!

Am I about to tell you that I think EVERYONE should adopt children? No, I would not be so presumptuous. But here is what I DO know...God loves the orphan, He Himself is the Father to the Fatherless, and we are promised that what we do for the "least" we do for him. 

Everyone is NOT necessarily called to adopt but I do believe that if we call ourselves followers of Christ we do the things that are important to Him and we obey what we read in the Bible. We must certainly study and seek out the heart of God as revealed in His Word and go and DO. 

We can give money to those adopting to help with costs, we can visit and love on orphans, we can serve, we can pray for those orphaned and for those adopting, we can babysit to give caregivers and parents a break, we can foster, we can donate clothes and other necessities, we can add children to our Christmas list...there are as many ways as there are ideas! And, would it hurt to honestly ask God: would you like me to adopt?

I pray the Church that follows Jesus would rise up on behalf of the orphan. I pray they would get the WORLD'S attention. I pray agencies, companies, and governments would follow their example and HELP those trying to adopt to lessen needless delays. I pray people would not allow themselves to be dragged into controversies over WHERE people should adopt from and WHO they should adopt. EVERY child deserves a home! Are we REALLY that tied to our country borders and racial identities that we would LEAVE children without homes? GOD HELP US if we are! Are we not all descendants of Adam and Eve and ultimately from the same area of the world? Adopt from across the street or across the world! 

I pray the Church follows the example of God: "A Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5.

I pray we would speak up loudly for the defenseless:  "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9