how we can all care for orphans
Posted by DK | Filed under BLOG, ORPHANS
I’m too young, too old, too busy, broke, and my house is full enough as it is! What can I possibly offer to orphans?”
Let’s be honest. If you fall under any of the above descriptions, caring for orphans sounds like something that you may consider engaging in at a different life stage or even in another life time. When people think of orphans these days, some common phrases that come to mind may be: third world country, poor, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, expensive, daunting… not something I can do.
madonna cares
Perhaps you’re a student or young adult and you’re wondering how the orphans and foster care need applies to you. When I was in college, becoming a better sniper on “Counter Strike” was of higher concern than acing my midterm the next day so how could I even consider adoption as an option?
Perhaps you’re a young married person and you’re considering starting a family someday. Maybe you already have a young child or two but in any case, money never seemed scarcer. Your honest admission is that you don’t see yourself traveling to Malawi (let alone Maui) some day to “rescue” a poor orphan child. What is your role in this conversation?
Perhaps you’re nearing retirement, all of your children are grown and the first of many grandkids have arrived. Your hair is falling out, teeth are getting worn and you’re shocked that you suddenly qualify for the senior special at Denny’s! You have lived life and have been around the block. Unless there truly is a fountain of youth as well as a money tree in your back yard, adoption and foster care is simply not on your radar.
denny's, home of the early senior menu
I think we can take a time out from each of these real-life circumstances, step back and pray a simple prayer that asks for one thing: the Heart of the Father.
Psalm 68:5-6 says:
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…”
The truth of the matter is, there are orphans all around us. Whether it is a neglected child or someone who is simply far away from home, we can start to care for orphans right where we are in life today. As we pray the simple prayer of “God, give me a heart like Yours” I think some very cool and simple things could happen.
You may not be ready to adopt a child, but perhaps you can invite some “lonely” people over to your house for dinner? Maybe you can host a party for international students at a nearby university—students who are undoubtedly missing the comforts of home, wherever that may be? You could volunteer your time in an after-school program for kids; whether they are in the inner city or the suburbs, all kids are “at-risk” and in need of mentorship.
we can all lend a hand
Wherever we are in life, we can all “foster” a father’s heart in whatever we do. Sound simple enough? Let’s start there and see where we are led.
What are some other ways that we can care for the orphans and “orphans” around us?
Please make sure to join us this Friday, May 22 for the next Justice NOW at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa. We will be highlighting the plight of local orphans.
