Wednesday, November 4, 2015

An Old Mission with a New Outlook

To those who know me well, it will come as no surprise that the foster care system is near and dear to my heart. It is a flawed, rip your heart out (repeatedly), unproductive system in many ways, however, the children within it are worth our acknowledgement, our time, our love, and our undying dedication.

I grew up in a family that took in several foster children. Each story heart breaking in so many ways. Some had wonderful endings like little Joseph who went on to be adopted by the daughter of his second foster family and attended school with my sister (whose arrival in my mother's womb brought with it a bed-ridden pregnancy which ultimately led to his needing to be placed in a new home). So thankful for the way that story turned out. Others are completely tragic with the cycle of neglect and criminal behavior being passed from generation to generation.

My heart since a very young age has always been so burdened with a desire to take in orphans, to change their lives, to be Jesus to the least of us. I would beg my parents to adopt a baby for me to take care of. When the safe haven laws passed in the U.S., I placed a basket with baby blankets on the front porch and waited anxiously for the day I would hear a newborn cry beneath my bedroom window.

The years passed and no newborns were dropped on my door step. Events occurred that changed my plans for life, in so many amazing ways. I have been married to a sweet and loving man for 9 years now. We have 4 beautiful and healthy children. We are able to provide them with so much. A beautiful home, food on the table, a personalized home school education, etc, etc. We are beyond blessed.

As time has gone on there are many times when I look back on my "teenage ready-to-conquer-the-
world self" and wonder what would have happened if I had not had some of the painful experiences that I did. Would things be different? Would I be in my meager home in the middle of India or Haiti with my hundreds of orphaned children?

In some ways pondering these things brought me to a state of sadness for the passion that seems so hindered by my daily responsibilities. Slowly though, God has been revealing to me a new outlook on my old mission. He is taking me from a sense of loss over what I thought would be, to a sense of desire for what He now intends.

There is nothing that He places on our hearts that will not be seen through to completion. The fatherless are a part of my ministry and a part of my being. When I was woven in my mother's womb God knew He would bring me to such a work as this.

This blog will be my jumping board for what is to come. As God takes me on this journey I ask that you join me through prayer, suggestions, resources, donations, and anything else He may lay on your heart to bring. It is my hope to use this blog as a way to advocate for those with no one in their corner, to provide for them in a way that I could never do on my own, and to raise awareness in the body of Christ regarding this great and dire need.

We have come to a place where we let the world dictate how we "tithe". We see constant requests from welfare organizations and cps for new funding and the passing of new levy's. We complain as we see our taxes raised and how money is being spent unwisely (which it is because worldly powers can never bring the provisions that Christ can) and yet we allow God's command, His commission to the church, to be neglected.

When we search out God's word for His message on the fatherless we can find 56 verses, many so clear that our lack of involvement should be considered criminal. In fact, according to scripture it is. Exodus 22:22-24 says this, "You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless." James 1:27 also says this, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." 

God has called us to the weak. He has called us to be like Jesus. Jesus, the rebel, who was a friend to sinners, a friend to women, a friend to the least of these. Jesus who brought healing to those He came in contact with. Jesus who called the little children to Himself when even the disciples turned them away. Jesus who came to this world and took on our sins so that we would no longer be called orphans, but instead could claim the title Child of The One True King. God calls us to be like Jesus and that means stepping beyond our pro-life stance and into a pro-active one that values the unborn, the child, the teen, the meek and the lowly in heart. Help me on the journey to bring Jesus to our nations fatherless.

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