Orphan Sunday is Today...'What If GOD Never Adopted You?'
Today is Orphan Sunday. The day to pray for and stand up against the incredible orphan problem in the world today. As you know, All Things New provides care for mostly older children. Most of the research, resources, and plans for orphan care in the world is aimed at young children. Many ministries are transitioning to what they call "family based" care, and rightly so. Similar to the foster care system in America, the idea behind the shift is that "every child belongs in a family."
In a vacuum, that statement is 100% correct. In a world full of countries where families can barely take care of themselves and many have neither the desire nor the capacity to add children to their household, that goal is still far off. That type of care is far-fetched for the large majority of children (especially older children) in third-world countries.
The reason that I am starting out the blog this way is because older children are more of a challenge. They get adopted less frequently, they bring a unique set of challenges, and in all honesty they are really really hard and generally less cute than younger kids.
Think about older kids as they get to age 15, 16, 17, 18, and more. How scared must they be to enter the world of adulthood without a family backing them up? How many times have I, in the past 25 years, called my Mom and Dad and for help? How often have I asked my sisters for advice, stayed with my Aunt for a week to take some classes, or spent time with my grandparents knowing they would do anything for me.
What about the older kids who are never adopted? The ones who never know the love and protection of a family. The kids who are left to fend for themselves and enter the difficulties and uncertainties of a world without a safety net to fall back on and help to call whenever it is needed.
Christians, that same uncertainty exists today for our friends/family who do not know the love of Jesus Christ.
- How lost would you be if you did not have the Holy Spirit living inside of you? The GOD of the universe who is leading you and guiding you while also giving you peace and protection.
- How scared would you be if you had to face the thought of death as the "final sting" before entering into what you believe to be an eternal darkness where everything just stops? Instead of knowing that death is a welcomed transition into an eternity spent with a loving GOD who every single day for the rest of forever will show you a new and incredible part of Himself. Spending eternity with Jesus.
- How dreadful would it be to wake up every single day knowing that you had to face the world in your own strength? That you had to use your own knowledge and wisdom to tackle the complexities of this world? Instead you have the wisdom of GOD who gives generously to all of us who ask.
- How dark would today be if, when you woke up, you did not know that you could talk to GOD whenever you wanted?
- How sad would it be to never be fully known and fully loved? Your husband/wife can never fully know you because they cannot read your thoughts. Your mom and dad can never fully love you no matter how great they are. GOD knows you completely. He knows every thought you have ever had and every action you have ever done, and guess what...
He does you so much, He wants to adopt you anyway!
It doesn't matter how old you are, how bad you are, how set in your ways you are, or even how evil the depths of your heart can seem. GOD already loves you. If you have been adopted as a son/daughter by Him then you know. You know the peace, joy, comfort, protection, and ultimately love that He offers.
If you have not experienced that adoption, please stop reading right now and find someone who knows what it means to be a child of GOD. The most important thing you can ever know about Orphan Sunday is that you have a GOD who wants you to be His child.