Orphan Sunday and Saving each other...

It is Sunday morning here in UA and it is the middle of the night in the US. November 7th has been designated as Orphan Sunday by the church and the purpose is to spot light the plight of the 147 million orphans world wide who do not know the love of a family or the significance of a home. When you look at a number like 147 million it has the impact of say...talking about the deficit or some near infinite government number that creates a numbness just by the sheer vastness of it. It makes you want to question the reality of it all. And it is overwhelming. But when you look at one face and know that she is becoming "one less orphan" and the power of that knowledge is just as infinite as the waiting numbers. I had a lady tell me once "Oh, I could NEVER do that!" Really? Says who? I have others say "What about kids here in the US? and I ask, well, with that level of concern, what are you doing to help? Honestly, adopting feels as right as rain to me now. I can't imagine NOT doing it. And I wonder what stands in the way of others adopting. Is family too perfect or too chaotic or too big or too small at your house to let someone have a chance at a life? I think the blindness to this idea comes from just not considering it at all. That it's for other people to do but the truth is Jesus called all of us to care for widows and orphans. (James 1:27) To not know the need is almost to be exempt from the cause...almost. "Once our eyes are opened we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and knows our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." There are so many ways to help if you simply cannot adopt. There is giving and volunteering and helping fund raise and awareness raise. And there is praying, the most significant act of obedience there is. I realize with our blog on adopting Marina it has seemed like this has been a walk in the park (if you do not count the paper chase which was a journey through a tornado vortex). We have loved nearly every minute of being here. I should tell you we are the exception to the rule. For another beautiful post on the plight of orphans already transferred to an institution I encourage you to visit my friend Julia Nalle's post on Micah 6:8. It is powerful. I do believe one person can make a difference but I think it is easier when it is a team of people with a heart for making a difference. It becomes a story of fishes and loaves multiplied. And in the grand scheme of things, are children not so very very important to the world while they have a short time before they grow up, or get lost along the way? They teach us beauty and love and innocence and wonder, in a way that we should never give them a chance to be lost at all!



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I will be available when we get home to come tell our story of adoption to anyone who would like to hear it since I have had several requests to do so. And I want to officially say that I completely mis-named our blog. We are not saving Marina. Truth be told, God is saving each of us from a plight of sadness and sorrow with out each other. We love her just as much as she loves us. I know we belong together as a family. The rainbow was drawn from our house to her orphanage more than 6500 miles apart and shone directly over her head. We couldn't miss her! Where does your rainbow end?