Sympathy is no substitute for action. David Livingstone
Our children are apart of a co-op where each family is required to give an oral presentation in front of all the other families to share about something regarding their family. Since we are in the process to adopt AND Orphan Sunday is this week, we decided to share a little bit about what we have discovered on the journey. Here is the informal speech the kids and I shared with our group.
Abby
About 4 in 10 Americans have considered adopting a child at one time in their lives. This equates to about 81.5 million adults. There are 150,000 children in foster care awaiting a couple willing to accept them as their forever family. These children would all have a family to call their own TODAY, if only 1 out of these 500 adults, who considered adoption, actually pursued and completed the adoption process. (National Adoption Attitudes Survey, June 2002)
500,000 children are in need to be loved & understood by caring foster parents due to a painful event that caused them to be taken away from their real mom & dad.
Ben
Worldwide, 15 million children have lost both their father and mother.
Tens of millions more do not have a FATHER in their lives.
Every 18 seconds a child becomes an orphan.
Every 15 seconds a child looses one parent to AIDS.
Michaela
Orphans are more at risk of becoming victims of violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Please allow me to share with you some common myths about adoption
Myth: Adoption is only for people who can’t have children of their own.
Reality: It is a logical belief that, by default alone, this is who may be ‘best suited’ for adoption. However, this is not the way the Lord works. When the church entertains this assumption, we in turn, reject God’s heart. There are over 40 scriptures in the Old Testament that show God's concern and compassion for orphans. If we are to put on the mind of Christ, we too, would share in his heart for orphans, seeking Him in how we can serve the least of these.
Myth: Adoptees are more likely to be troubled than biological children
Reality: Research shows that adoptees are as well-adjusted as their non-adopted peers.
Myth: Adoption is outrageously expensive therefore putting it out of reach for most one income families.
Reality: Through the foster care system, adoption is virtually free. Plus there is a state subsidy & medical insurance that continues after the adoption is final, that provides for the child till they are 18. The tax credits put in place for people who adopt, fully reimburse MOST adoption expenses! Simply put, adoptions are often, no more expensive than giving birth. Yet, strangely enough, one expense is favorable and the other is beyond your reach. There is a sad truth that is never considered when talking about this dollar amount. God loves ALL kids. They are each a PRICELESS masterpiece of his creation. His heart’s desire for each orphan is to be cared for, loved and cherished. God is not up in heaven struggling with how He can provide his church with enough money to care for them all. It is very clear in scripture that He is awesome at providing for our needs and that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. If He is calling you to do something, there is no such thing as an amount of money too great to meet the needs of God’s kids.
Myth: Parents can’t love an adopted child in the same way or as much as a biological child.
Reality: Love and attachment are NOT the result of, or guaranteed through, blood relation. The intensity of bonding and depth of emotion are the same regardless of how the child joins their family.
Abby
While many Christians give a ‘good reason’ why they do not feel called to orphan care, most reasons when stripped away, have more to do with fear than living out and seeking God’s heart for the orphan. As much as we might not want to admit it, many of us don’t like to think about orphans because, frankly, we’re scared of them. There is no doubt, orphan care can be risky. These kids need to be raised up, to be taught, to be hugged, and to be heard. Children who have been traumatized often need more love, attention and care than we ever thought we could give. It is so much easier to ignore those cries, however, true love of any kind is risky. The Gospel shows us that this self-sacrificing love is all worth it. God modeled it, even to the point of sending His son to die for us so that we may see eternity. As X-orphans ourselves, God had our eternity in mind when He created our forever home. The price of that sacrifice was great, however, it was priceless to Him because we are His kids.
My Part
In looking through the eyes of our children we model for them, God’s heart. Such an amazing & crucial responsibility. There comes a day when our kids SEE for the first time, what we have learned to ignore. Their hearts break when they SEE pictures of less fortunate children in the world. In response, we must bridge the gap of geography. These other children go to bed hungry, isolated from people who truly love them, and endure deplorable living conditions. With tender hearts, they wonder with uncertainty “Do you know about this?” conjoined with another thought, “What are we going to do about this?” Big questions for tiny hearts to grasp! It is inquired upon with such profound wisdom and a lively faith that inactivity should not be a choice. Their need to seek out justice for ALL of God’s kids, just bursts with possibility of a faith so large it must be cultivated.
Research has shown at ages 2 through 10, we validate or suppress their understanding of injustice by our action or idleness. If we chose to act, we show God’s love and compassion for ALL children and rightly reflect God’s heart. At this age and with their amazing childlike faith, it is not acceptable for life to be so hard, unfair or uncertain. When they are constantly told that the problem is too big and they are too small, this kind of ignorance fuels apathy.
By Jr high they become numb to the angst of injustice that was once so active within their hearts. Their desire to seek out God’s heart for the orphan is silenced by adults who have become numb themselves to the plight of orphans.
Once this continues into high school, friends, self-absorption, activities and other meaningless entertainment are utilized to drown out the cry. As you can clearly see, we must begin modeling this compassion at an early age in order for it to take effect.
If we ignite a fire in the hearts of the next generation to prevent them from becoming apathetic, ignorant and numb to the plight of orphans, we will accomplish great strides in instilling God’s heart & compassion for all his children. Gods most basic commandments are at the heart of orphan care.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind, with all your strength AND Love your neighbor as yourself.
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As Orphan Sunday is being celebrated this Sunday at many churches all across the country please pray for people to rise up and get that stirring in their heart. Not all orphan care is about adoption & foster care. Sometimes your part may look different but it will accomplish a common goal.
~ Just being a consistent person in a child's unstable life is a huge contribution.
~ Supporting a child in a 3rd world country where they can stay with the family that loves them is substantial.
~ Filling a shoebox for Samaritan's purse is an awesome gift to an orphan to show them the love of Christ.
~Being a cheerleader for those that are in the process or have adopted is an imperative part of the re-integration.
~Taking mission trips to orphanages in foreign countries is a way of seeking to comfort the many orphans.
If you want to remain apathetic & unaffected by the plight of God's forgotten kids that is between you and the Lord. There isn't much God can do with a hard heart. On the contrary,
God can do anything with a soft and moldable heart. He is the only one who knows how you are to play apart in orphan care IF you are willing to serve! However, He is a gentleman and will not demand you to do anything that you are grudgeful about or unwilling to do.
