Orphans

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."  -Psalm 68:5

This past Sunday was deemed "Orphan Sunday" (www.orphansunday.org) dedicated to the issue of and provision for orphans around the world. Of course, I work at an adoption agency and a lot of my time is spent thinking about adoption and more importantly, the orphans/children being adopted. While my life is enveloped in this issue, most others are not. In saying that, I challenge all who read this to take a minute and ponder how you can help these children in need. Not everyone is called to adopt, but God says in His Word that we are all called to care for orphans.

"Pure and faultless religion in the sight of God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..." -James 1:27

There are 143 million orphans in the world. That current number was nearly half its size in the last few years and honestly, it is a crying shame. While that number might feel overwhelming to you (and honestly, it does to me at times too) and you might feel like "i can't even make a dent in 143 million." You absolutely can! Don't let the number intimidate you but motivate you. One by one, we can make that number go down. If every person willing and able took a small part, think about how much that number could be reduced! Think of the stark contrast in their current daily lives to the life they could have in a loving, caring home!

As I said previously, not everyone is called to adopt, but there are ways to help aid these kids:

1. You can help sponsor a family wanting to adopt.

2. You can commit to pray for orphans and their needs.

3. You can adopt a child or be a foster parent.

4. You can donate funds to an orphanage or shelter for children.

5. You can give a donation(s) to an non-profit organization or agency that aids and/or places children.

6. You can donate your time to volunteer with a church program or children's organization

providing for orphans.

The possibilities are many. Really think about this issue and figure out a way, no matter how plentiful or small your resources, you can make a difference. God is calling you.