A heart for orphans

James 1:26-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ 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.

God loves orphans and has allowed us the priviledge of being His hands to those in this world who don't have parents. Perhaps you may realize this, maybe you don't, but November 6th is Orphan Sunday.

http://vimeo.com/12616432

In my life God has given me a love for orphans. At the end of the above video it asks people to help because they need you, and then there is a pause and it says "you need them even more"...it's true. It rings true in my life.

The first orphan that God brought into our home was named Aura Lorena and Kent and I met her in a hotel in Guatemala City when she was 5 months old. We had fallen in love with a picture and a promise that she'd be ours. We were awaiting her arrival with her foster mom and time stood still, or so it seemed. Shortly before the appointed hour we received a call from the front desk.

"Someone is here waiting for you." We left our room and from that first step into the hallway we had a view of the front desk. There was a tiny woman holding an even tinier baby. She was dressed in an aqua-green satin dress. It was homemade. She had a full head of thick, black hair and the biggest, brownest eyes I'd ever seen. She took my breath away. My heart was once again stolen in a way I can't explain. Within a few steps we were right next to her and within minutes she was in our arms. It was and is indescribable.

But I can tell you this, God knew how much joy, love and relationship with Him we would gain if we would just follow His instruction to care for orphans. You see I didn't realize it then, but I needed Gillian way more than she needed me.

She would show me God's heart through her life. God would use Gillian's life to touch so many. He would use the whole experience to open our hearts to His and experience this awe-inspiring, full of worship journey 3 more times. (Who knows maybe there are more surprises in store.) But whatever the journey, I am so grateful to the Creator, who knew when sin entered the world, lots of horribly sad things would follow. He invited His Creation, us, to partner with Him in caring and sharing His love with these children.

Would you be willing to pray this prayer with me for the next 14 days as you seek Him

and inquire about the possibilities and surprises He may have for you?

Am I willing to follow God wherever He may lead

so that I might more fully know Him and make Him known?