Father to the fatherless

It happened. I got asked the question I've been dreading getting today.

"Why aren't you adopting from foster care?"

I've known it was coming since we made our official announcement that we were proceeding with adoption from South Africa. I am, after all, pretty open about adoption stuff. This is one I really wasn't looking forward to fielding, and I wasn't even sure how I would. My feelings are complex to say the least, and even my own heart is aching as we pursue adoption from South Africa instead of the United States.

You see, foster adoption has had a big impact on my life. I am the proud niece of two aunts and an uncle who came into our family through foster care. God bless my Grandma Geri- this is the woman who gave me my first exposure to adoption, and I think that formed a lot of who I have become. While she's a bit (read: a lot) more wild and outspoken than I am, we are the same in that our hearts ache for children who are family-less.

My heart aches for the children in the United States with no permanent family of their own. My heart aches for each child who is laying their head down tonight in an orphanage, the child who has had so little physical contact they don't know how to be held.

Oh, Jesus, how I wish I could love and cherish each and every one of them.

Friends, it's not about the money. It's not about who is more worthy or taking care of "our own" first. It is about children, very real children who are losing days of their childhood the longer we stall and quibble about minutiae.

I believe in a God who is bigger than $42,000 (yep, that's our number), bigger than governmental bureaucracy, bigger than doubters, and certainly bigger than my fears. And I believe he called us to this:
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

These words shake me to the very core of my being. I will sell all I have. I will work my fingers to the bone. I will unashamedly tell people FORTY-TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS is what it will take to set one lonely child in a family, and glory! GLORY! be to God the day that happens.

 

It is not about me. It is about a child and glorifying a mighty God. May He continue to break my heart for the plight of the orphan.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:5-6

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