When Love Takes You In

Several years ago a young girl by the name of Sofi was born in Siberia, a bitterly cold and desolate area of Russia. A difficult place to be a child but Sofi’s life was going to be even rougher than most. She was an orphan and most likely would remain in that orphanage until age 15. Then suddenly at the age of 2 she was adopted, sight unseen, by Laurie Collis a single mother in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At home in the U.S., Sofi adjusted to her new life and was doing well. So well in fact, that she entered an essay contest and out of 10,000 applicants, she won! As a result, she came to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the lift off of the Mars Rover.

While there she was asked to read an excerpt from her winning essay. Here is part of it: "I used to live in an orphanage. It was dark and cold and lonely. At night, I looked up at the sparkly sky and felt better. I dreamed I could fly there. In America, I can make all my dreams come true. Thank you for giving me the ’Spirit’ and the ’Opportunity’."

Today, years after landing on Mars, little robots named Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring opposite sides of that distant world. By now you have figured out that the contest Sofi entered and won was to name these two Martian vehicles. But what you don’t know is that "Spirit" and "Opportunity" are not just the names of the Mars rovers. They are also the two attitudes she said she discovered in her new home in America.

Like Sofi, orphaned and abandoned children around the world today are often the most helpless and hopeless of all people. Sadly, they are also (all too frequently) the most oppressed and abused as well. With all of this sadness it would be easy to think that God just doesn’t care but He does – and He will judge those who hurt them as well as those who chose not to help, who chose to walk away, who ignore the cries for help. You see, God is the only judge that matters on the Supreme Court and He has a huge heart for the least of these. Thousands of years ago, this truth was written:

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling (Psalm 68:5)

The Bible has a lot to say about orphans, and about the fatherless. Why does the Bible mention orphans and the fatherless so often? I believe it is because God values them and He wants us to value them as well. Although some try to find a way out, there is not much wiggle room in this passage written by the Apostle James:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

I am convinced friends that with God’s help, each of us can change the world and leave it better than when we found it. Some may be called to adopt from Siberia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti or elsewhere. And some can be involved right here with children in our communities without moms and dads. There are thousands of children in foster care who need families, who need to know that the Father loves them and that they are valued for who they are – life created in His image. They will not know that truth unless we become like Jesus to these children.

Many that I speak with say that becoming a foster care parent is not for them. That’s ok BUT we need to know that there is more than one way to "look after" (the verb that the Apostle James used) these children. If our heart is aligned with Jesus, He will show us how to help. We need to remember that He took the first step. It was His love that took us into His arms when we were still orphans of God.

That’s a beautiful thing when loves takes you in, isn’t it? Every Child's Hope is to have a home. Next weekend - you can find out how. See http://www.everychildshope.info/ for more information.

Caution: Cardboard Children Ahead

One year ago this month, life-size cardboard cutouts of children started appearing on the National Mall in Washington, DC at the rate of 850 a day. Why? To illustrate just how many kids are entering foster care on a daily basis.

The exhibit, Forgotten Children -- Foster Children Take a Stand, was intended to raise public awareness of the struggles of an estimated 513,000 foster kids nationwide, many of whom were removed from their original homes because of suspected abuse or neglect.

A study done by the Dave Thomas Foundation, identified the fact that 48 million Americans have considered foster care. Most Americans however, have misperceptions about the process and the children who are eligible for adoption. These misperceptions include the following:

• 67 % of people considering adoption from foster care are concerned that biological parents can return to claim the children. Truth is that once the court finalizes the legal termination of parental rights, the parents can never return to claim the child.
• 46 % mistakenly believe foster care adoption is expensive. Truth is that there is very little cost to adopt from foster care, with financial support when necessary.
• 45 % believe children in foster care are juvenile delinquents. Truth is that the vast majority of children entered the system through no fault of their own, as victims of neglect, abandonment and/or abuse.

The problems of foster children in this country are largely invisible because most people don't see these children. But the Lord sees them and knows them by name.

Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest." Luke 9:48

The greater Cincinnati area has a large population of Bible believing churches that come alive on Sunday. During the week many of them are involved in making our communities a better place to live. Wouldn’t it be incredible if these churches began to “see” these foster care children as the Lord sees them? Wouldn’t it be incredible if these churches left the 99 and went to find the 1 that was lost?

There are 22 churches in Cincinnati now that have become part of this miracle, they are the Coalition of Care churches. They can be found at www.achildshopeintl.org/CoalitionPartners.html

It will take more than these 22 churches to solve the foster care problem in the greater Cincinnati area but it is a start – a good start.

Is your church involved? It can be. Speak to your church leadership about the Coalition of Care and share with them the love of the Father for these special children. Encourage them to share the message of Every Child's Hope Weekend which will happen on May 29-31, 2009. Check it out at www.everychildshope.info

Every Child's Hope.... is to have a home. Is there room in yours?