Orphan Sunday

Just the other day, a dear friend shared the link to a video...

The news video told of a family whose life had been changed forever by an encounter with a child who had just been removed from his home. He was scared, confused and alone, but as so often happens, it was through this heartbreaking encounter that the Lord began to work within their hearts...

bringing beauty from ashes...

As I watched this video, I understood so much of what this family shared, the brokenness and the burden of now opened eyes and redirected hearts...

but there was one line, one line that just struck my heart and formed into words what so many of us in the adoption community have felt...

"I shoulder this burden of knowledge and when I try to unpack it with family, friends and the church, they smile and change the subject to something 'not so heavy'"!

For those who have been there, for those who have seen with their own hearts the neglect and the abuse and the effect of lives lived void of love...

For those who have lived it out by bringing all of the above into their families...

this one line speaks right into the burden that the Lord has placed within us and the frustration of watching as much of the world turns away and we understand... 

cause this stuff is hard to hear.

It is hard to hear the stories. It is especially hard when the stories are standing right in front of you, sitting in the pew behind you, living right next door to you, or even sitting at the Thanksgiving table with you, smiling, laughing, loving; orphans no more but thriving sons and daughters.

But it needs to be hard y'all...

orphans' lives are hard...

There is just so way to sugar coat the reality in which these precious children exist. 

It is overwhelming, I know...

the need is so great, I know...

It is easy to think that you are not up to the task, that you are not equipped, that you don't have enough love or time or patience or money.

It is easy to think that those who adopt are Super Christians, that the Lord anointed us with an extra dose or two of love, time, patience and money.

It is easy to think that it . is . just . too . hard.

Well, take it from this Non Super Christian, this extremely flawed, slightly (ahem) OCD, incredibly impatient, direction-ally challenged, always late, always broke and truly broken Christian...

It IS hard...

but it is also the most meaningful, most important, most life changing thing I have ever done...

and I don't just mean life changing for my girls but life changing for me and for my former "typical American dream" family...

but I get it...

I do...

I look at other families, you know the true "Super Christians"...

those amazing families that foster kid after kid, many times having to love them and then send them back to the exact same situations that led them to be in crisis in the first place...

those incredible families that adopt high needs children who will need life long care...

those inspiring families who sell all of their possessions, leave their family, their friends and their country, to minister to the least of these, those who have never heard the gospel or those are vulnerable and exploited. 

I look at these "Super Christians" and think...

it . is . just . too . hard...

but I would bet that if you asked any of these families, they would say the same...

It IS hard...

but it is also the most meaningful, most important, most life changing thing I have ever done...

You see, these children change you, break you, transform you and you are not and will never be "ready" but remember...

"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls." You don't need to be "ready"... you just need to say "yes" to whatever it is the Lord is calling you to... because He is calling and whether it be adoption or foster care or missions work or supporting those who have taken those steps in faith and answered the call for the orphan... make no mistake... He is calling, so please... the next time you tuck your children into bed at night, think about those who go to bed alone... the next time you kiss a boo boo or bandage a skinned knee, think about those who cry alone... the next time you drop your little one off at school, think about those who will never have the chance to go to school... the next time you cheer your child on at their game or their concert or their recital, think about those who will never have anyone cheering them on... the next time you buy your child another pair of shoes, think about those who don't have any shoes... the next time you calm your child's fears, think about those who will always live in fear... the next time you think about or plan for your children's future, please think about those who will never . have . a . future... and then please, do something! The next time you buy fast food, think about this... the amount of money that many people spend per month on fast food could be spent to provide for a child to be removed from an institution into a loving healing home, a place where they have attention, where they have hope, where they have love and where they have life! Lifeline China Foster Center from Lifeline Children's Services on Vimeo. This next time you visit St*rbucks, think about this... the amount of money that many people spend at St*rbucks each month could be spent providing medical care, education or vocational training for a child who has already aged out... What is (un)adopted? from Lifeline Children's Services on Vimeo. then please DO SOMETHING!   To read more about the family in the news video, please visit the blog, Ransom for Israel