Orphan Sunday 2014...

Every Sunday morning, I head over to church early to greet people who will come through our doors.  I look forward to seeing people we haven't seen all week, new people who are checking things out for the first time, and the faces of people we consider our extended family.  More than all of those people combined, I look forward to a little boy who has stolen my heart, a boy who has caused me to think differently about life, a boy who tests me at times, who makes me laugh uncontrollably, who challenges me some days, and who loves to cry out, "Mommy...Mommy...Mommy!"

This morning that little guy, who I have the privilege to call my son, came through the doors of the church and came running up to me to show me what he had brought in for the first time (with the help of Daddy, of course!).  He was carrying a little canvas bag and inside the bag was his very own Bible.  My heart melted.  He was so proud of that Bible.

Today was Orphan Sunday and I have been reminded of just how incredible adoption is...once again.  I am reminded of that daily.  When Biruk cuddles with us for a few minutes in the morning hours, when he laughs like crazy at absolutely nothing, when he repeats anything and everything we say, when he plays with children and just exudes this crazy kind of joy, and when he places his little hands in ours, I am reminded of the total gift of adoption.

Tonight, 143 million orphans will lay their heads down, somewhere in the world, hoping for a forever family.  They will come from all different walks of life, from all different parts of the world, all with a different story.  They will all have one thing in common.  They are deeply loved by their Creator God.  God has not forgotten them.  In fact, he has a great plan for their life and it might just include you and I.  While we may not all be called to adopt, God does call us to care for the orphans in our world.  He asks us in James 1:27 to "look after the orphans" and reminds us in Isaiah 1:17 that we are called to "defend the fatherless."  How we choose to be part of Orphan Care is going to look different for each one of us.  Some will adopt, some will participate in foster care, some will financially support those who will adopt, some will mentor teenagers aging out of the foster care system, some will support churches caring for orphans around the world, some will become prayer warriors.  This Orphan Sunday, let's seriously ask God what he is calling us to do next.  We might just discover an unbelievable gift through his calling.

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