Joy in the Journey: The Cry of the Orphan...

As many of you may know, Novemeber is National Adoption Month and today was Orphan Awareness Sunday. I want to take just a moment and talk about this. There are approximately 143 million orphans in the world. That number is so hard to grasp. I mean that is HUGE!! However, God calls us to care of the orphans and widows (James 1:27). Now you may be saying, "I'm too old to adopt." or "I don't have a lot of wealth to offer a child." or any number of reasons. Let me just say that a child with no parents doesn't care what your age as long as you will love them. And a child with a very meager diet and really no personal possessions doesn't care if you aren't rich. Whatever means you have is more wealth than most of these children have seen.

I know for some people adoption isn't an option for various reasons. However, this does not get you off the hook of following through with James 1:27. There are still many things you can do. Here are just a few:

1.) Pray for the orphan.

2.) Speak up for them.

3.) Provide for their needs.

4.) Support those families who adopt.

5.) Go on a mission trip and visit them.

6.) Mobilze your church to reach out.

(For specific children to pray for check out rainbowkids.org)

There is a story that helps to paint a picture of adoption. Many of you may have heard it, but I'm going to tell it anyway.

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.
As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"

I can't help all 143 million orphans, but I can help one.