But, today I woke up all unsettled. Borderline angry. Actually, discontent. There it is.
Discontent.
Because Orphan Care is my Holy Discontent
Friends, I want you to be heartbroken, sad, angry, upset about abortion. I want you to feel the sorrow for our nation that comes with the murdering of innocent children. I do. But what I hate most is that we are celebrating it. We are celebrating pure evil. But this isn't only about abortion.
You cannot become outraged about the murdering of innocent children if you aren't willing to do something (as in take action) about the innocent children already on the outside of the womb. If you claim to be Pro-Life, you are then, Pro-Life. You are taking the stance that ALL LIFE is worth saving. And trust me, folks, the children on this side of the womb need saving - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
There are hundreds of thousands (according to the statistics, that number is close to half a million) of children in foster care in the United States. Add to that the number of orphans around the world and we're looking at roughly
140-150 million children
who are living, breathing, and in need of someone championing their cause
This should make you just as heartbroken, just as outraged, just as sorrowful. Can you imagine what it must feel like for those children? I can't. But I have experienced proof of it every single day since April 16, 2011.
You can't pick and choose parts of the Bible. Just as it commands us not to murder (abortion) it commands us to "...look after orphans and widows..." (James 1:27). Sure, we all fail. We all do things we shouldn't, we're covered by grace and saved by the blood of Jesus. Sure, we can all do better to love Christ with all our heart, mind, and strength. And there is no doubt we call all do better at loving others as ourselves.
I guess my point is this: you can sit in your pew and pray all the prayers and cry all the tears, you can march at all the rallies, you can quote all the scripture, and post all the memes you want. But until you take action - real action - what does it mean? How many of us are quick to give our strong opinion on these matters and then hop into our car, go home, and keep living our comfortable lives? It's sad. These kids need us. And take it from me, we need them. Walking the foster and adoption road has shaped me and stretched me more than I could have ever imagined.
Is opening your heart, your finances, your life to an orphan easy? No. It takes sacrifice. But isn't that what Christ asks of us? It doesn't say, "look after orphans and widows if you have extra time and money." It doesn't say, "look after the widows and orphans if you have less than two kids of your own." It doesn't say, "look after the orphans and the widows when it's convenient." There are no exclusions here. There are so many ways to support and champion the children that are here, on this side of the womb. There are also so many ways to support and champion the children still in the womb (see ideas below).
Don't just be "noisy gong or clanging cymbol" (1 Cor. 13:1), go out show love to those who truly need it with your actions. We need to be the hands and feet to the least of these.
You can't pick and choose parts of the Bible. Just as it commands us not to murder (abortion) it commands us to "...look after orphans and widows..." (James 1:27). Sure, we all fail. We all do things we shouldn't, we're covered by grace and saved by the blood of Jesus. Sure, we can all do better to love Christ with all our heart, mind, and strength. And there is no doubt we call all do better at loving others as ourselves.
I guess my point is this: you can sit in your pew and pray all the prayers and cry all the tears, you can march at all the rallies, you can quote all the scripture, and post all the memes you want. But until you take action - real action - what does it mean? How many of us are quick to give our strong opinion on these matters and then hop into our car, go home, and keep living our comfortable lives? It's sad. These kids need us. And take it from me, we need them. Walking the foster and adoption road has shaped me and stretched me more than I could have ever imagined.
Is opening your heart, your finances, your life to an orphan easy? No. It takes sacrifice. But isn't that what Christ asks of us? It doesn't say, "look after orphans and widows if you have extra time and money." It doesn't say, "look after the widows and orphans if you have less than two kids of your own." It doesn't say, "look after the orphans and the widows when it's convenient." There are no exclusions here. There are so many ways to support and champion the children that are here, on this side of the womb. There are also so many ways to support and champion the children still in the womb (see ideas below).
Don't just be "noisy gong or clanging cymbol" (1 Cor. 13:1), go out show love to those who truly need it with your actions. We need to be the hands and feet to the least of these.
Ways to Help
- Locally:
>contact your local DSS office and sign up for foster care
>support local families who foster/adopt and offer to make a meal or watch the kids so they can run errands
>pick up laundry on the weekends to help a foster mom who has her hands full
>offer to help at the house so a foster mom can take the child/ren to the many therapy appointments
>offer to supply Christmas gifts for your local DSS office
>contact your local pregnancy resource center and see how you can help a mother in need who is choosing life
>be a mentor to a young mother who needs support and guidance
>consider domestic adoption
>financially support a US Missionary
-Internationally:
>support a child in an orphanage
-- Umuryango Children's Network is our favorite. We are personal friends with the staff and 100% of your donation
goes directly to the child. We love everything about this place and hope to visit someday!
https://www.umuryango.org
>Samaritan's Purse: has many options for sponsorships and one-time gifts. Overhead is very low and much of what you donate goes directly towards the need
>consider international adoption
>financially support an international missionary
>financially support a family who has the heart for adoption but may have trouble with the finances
