I grew up loving the movie Annie and The Little Princess. I’m a succor for the underdog. The outcast. The abandoned. I was the outcast. The underdog. The abandoned. Jesus came to my rescue. He scooped me up, carried me half dead with dirty knees and washed me. With more tenderness than a mother with her child, He washed the dirt from my face, my feet, my heart. He washed it with His blood. The blood that cost something on Calvary.
There is an uprising in our churches. It is a good uprising. It is a Holy Spirit uprising, because only He can cause such a stirring. A stirring for the abandoned. The orphan. The child who is left to sit in their feces and bed of lice and fed crumbs in the name of parenting. Not cool.
I heard someone say yesterday that family court judges should be required to foster a child for a year before they ever get the right to sit on that authoritative bench. To hold that gavel that sends the innocent child back into a cruel environment with one prideful bang on their big, bad bench. Not cool.
I must admit, all this talk about adoption, and the orphan, and foster care, has made me a little uncomfortable. Isn’t that horrible? Am I the only one? Probably not. Am I doing something wrong, Lord? If I don’t adopt? If I don’t take in a child from the system? If I simply take care of the children I’ve birthed?
I feel somewhat guilty for not wanting to take on more responsibility at this time. Because, the Lord knows, I can barely take care of my 3 little ones most days.
But I can do something. You and I can pray for a heart change. I’ve prayed for a heart change. Ask the Lord how you can help. Maybe, for now, it is simply to pray for these precious ones the Lord so cares for. Maybe it is to sponsor a child? Or consider foster care at some point.
Whatever it is, on whatever level, don’t let the answer be to turn your head so you don’t have to see the pain… because it’s there, whether you want to see it or not. God calls us to care. He calls you to care. If you are like me, and content with your pretty little family God has blessed you with, remember… there is more we can be doing. Ask Him. Be willing. Don’t turn your head in ignorance. Don’t, with a prideful, unwilling heart, say I’m okay… because that child, is so not okay in that dark, lonely corner of the globe.
Thanks for visiting!
Lauren says
Beautiful post! I will pray for you as well. I’m so glad you mentioned sponsorship and such. Not everyone is called to adopt or do foster care. There are more Christians than orphans in the world, so they can’t all be called to adoption. The numbers don’t add up! 😉 BUT I do believe there are those who are called but don’t want to and I completely agree that we are ALL called to care and to be a part of loving orphans in some way – maybe sponsoring a child, praying and donating to families who are called to adopt, volunteering at youth shelters, ect… I love the move I see God doing in the Church on behalf of orphans lately. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your heart on this!
Jenifer says
Beautiful post. While I do want to adopt at some point, I would also love to just have another child myself. One time that did make me feel guilty. The Word says to take care of the widows and orphans. All the other Christians are doing it (I know that is not completely true). So I felt bad for just wanting to naturally have my own child.
But, as you pointed out, we do not have to adopt or foster to help these precious children. We can sponsor, we can pray, we can do many things to help them.
Great post!
LeAnn says
This was a beautiful post and Amen to it all. It is important that we do whatever we can to lift and comfort and help those sweet little ones that are so abandoned. There are many things one can do with time, money or just prayers for them all.
Thanks for a strong reminder to be praying for all those that struggle in this area.