Orphan Care

This is the month of orphan care.  Many celebrate adoption but I look at the bigger picture.  I see orphan care. This could be adoption, foster care, orphan care, (un)adopt, every aspect of working with orphans here in America and all over the world.  What is the church doing to follow James 1:27 (Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.)  He did not say, only take care of the widows in your community.  He has told us to take care of widows AND orphans.  This does not mean only help those in your community..it does not say only help those far away.  It means, step out of your comfort zone and help.  God does not want us to sit back and hope that one day an orphan will come to us and ask for help, He wants us to GO and DO.  He wants us to help by donating our time/money/items.  I truly believe that God did not intend ALL Christians to adopt.  Adoption is a hard journey and many just are not able to make that journey.  But EVERY Christian can help.  

I am tired of churches only helping those they feel 'worthy' to receive the help.  I am tired of hearing churches say, if we help you, we would have to help everyone.  Or my favorite, we cant help you as an individual, because we would have to help other individuals.  Which then makes me go...so, if a family needed clothing or food, would you not provide that one family what they needed?  Why is helping a family adopt a child such a hard concept?  Why is helping fix a house up for a widow expectable but helping a family fix up their home to bring home a child through adoption not? Why is it expectable to take a 'love' offering for a missionary going to a far off country but it is not ok to do the same for a family bringing a child from that same country? I just dont understand the reasoning behind how churches think.  Why is it a bad idea to do what God has asked us to do?  

This Sunday is Orphan Sunday.  I realize there will be many churches who do nothing. They will approach this Sunday like any other..they will continue with whatever series they are in the middle of. Many churches have a problem with being 'in your face' about some issues.  Many 'skirt' around them to avoid conflict.  So, challenge your church to do something..challenge them to do what God has asked ALL Christians to do...challenge them to step out of the comfort zone and live life to the extreme. 

In the middle of those updates on our adoption, I am going to post different ways to do orphan care this month. If this helps one orphan, then they will all be worth it.