Some days the orphan crisis weighs heavier on my heart than
others. It is, however, an ever present burden on my mind. Today was one of those days, as I once again
delved into the current statistics and attempted to make sense of it all. A good friend made the perfect analogy. She stated that it
was like trying to bail a boat with a gigantic hole using a Dixie cup. WOW!
That really does put it in perspective and give credence to the well-meaning
excuses I so often hear.
We need to focus on fixing the hole (family preservation).
This one is impossible to argue with! It IS important to work with families to
maintain them. We need organizations that will help fund medical needs, cutting
down on parents making the impossible decision between giving a child up or
watching them die/suffer. We need groups that will teach proper parenting
skills. Children are stuck in the foster care system waiting for their
biological parent(s) to understand how to care for them better with little to
no help.
HOWEVER: EVEN if the hole does get repaired, there is still
a TON of water in the boat! I pray that we can help preserve and repair
biological families. That does not address the millions of children that are
currently waiting for a family of their own. There is still a GIGANTIC need for
families to consider and pursue providing a loving home for one of the many
that do not have that experience.
One Dixie cup isn’t going to make a difference (overwhelming,
why bother). It does feel this way! No one family is going to end the orphan
crisis! (Trust me, I think hubby has decided I am trying to do this.) When you
realize the vast number of children without families caring for them it can
feel like too large of a need to ever fill.
HOWEVER: IF everyone bought into this view, the water would
never get out of the boat. If no one chose to adopt, then no children would be
home. You can make the biggest difference ever in the life of one child. This
one child will experience love and life that would never have been felt if you
didn’t dive in and start bailing.
There are already people over there bailing out the boat (I’m
letting other people, who are “called” to adopt). I hear so often about the “call
to adopt”. It is commonly stated that not everyone is able or should feel it
necessary to adopt. That certain individuals are exempt simply because they do
not feel it is meant for them. Deciding to go into the ministry begins with a
calling. However, that does not exempt the rest of us from ministering to
others. I was not called to be a pastor, but I do have the responsibility to
share Jesus with others through my interactions. IF you do not feel the call to
adopt, make sure that you are finding a way to care for the fatherless as this
is a responsibility.
HOWEVER: ONLY a few Dixie cups will never empty the boat.
MANY Dixie cups would!! The only way to reverse the orphan crisis is for more
families to rise up than the number of children orphaned. Every 18 seconds a
child becomes an orphan.
WANT TO HELP BAIL THE BOAT? Ever considered adoption? PLEASE
ASK ME QUESTIONS!!!
