Single and double orphans face things that most of the people reading this can't even comprehend - especially those in third world countries. Extreme hunger. Forced child labor. Trafficking. HIV. A lack of education.
It's easy to become overwhelmed by the enormity of the global orphan crisis, so let's narrow our focus a bit. In 2014, there were over 400,000 children in the United States foster care system. 100,000 of them were waiting to be adopted. I haven't seen the 2015 statistics, but I would be surprised if they were lower. In the county where I live, there are 134 children currently in foster care. In Arkansas alone, there are 975 children awaiting adoption. I'm about to weep just typing that number. Let that sink in - 975 children in ONE state. These are children who are ready and able to be placed in a forever family; they are simply waiting for that family. And sadly, some of those children will age out of the system. Translation: they will become adults without ever having a family to call their own. This should not happen.
Abortion is a hot topic these days in our country, especially in the light of all the Planned Parenthood news. The pro-life crowd is rising up and growing louder. This is a good thing. But it is not enough.
It is not enough, my friend, to be pro-life if the conviction only lasts until birth. Take the 15 year old who is scared and doesn't have a support system. She's told the baby inside her is alive and decides not to have an abortion. We say "What a wonderful decision!" But now what does she do? Our celebration of the decision is not enough. Where is her hope? Who will help her? How will she finish school? Who will guide her in parenting - and not just through infancy?
It is not enough to be pro-life while ignoring the plight of children - here in our own city, state, country and around the world. We can not simultaneously say we believe in life IN the womb and not care for those OUTSIDE the womb.
It is not enough to picket abortion clinics while we ignore the children in foster care. If we say we are pro-life, we must be pro-life, not just anti-abortion.
There are so many ways to get involved in the orphan crisis locally and globally. The obvious ones are to become a foster or adoptive parent. Many people don't realize, however, there are other ways to step into the care and prevention of orphans. Here are a few:
*Volunteer at your local Pregnancy Resource Center. I have a friend who volunteers at ours and not only was she able to counsel with a young woman about choosing life for her baby, the women became friends! My friend even took care of the baby while her mom took her college classes. That's what I'm talking about - offering help and hope. Without them, it looks too much like guilt and condemnation.
*Sponsor a child through an organization like Compassion International. CI helps families by making sure their children have adequate medical care, a good education, and food. These children may be single orphans or they may simply live in a country where work (thus, income and food) is scarce. We can partner with them, helping them keep their families together.
*Be a support to foster and adoptive parents. They are tired, mentally, physically, and emotionally. With birth parent visits, doctors' appointments, and court dates - on top of "regular" parenting, they run ragged. The emotional weight is even heavier than the physical/daily life weight. I cannot even begin to express how thankful our family is for the people who have surrounded us through our journey.
*Mentor a child in foster care. Every kid needs to know there is at least one adult in his corner. Someone who cares for him, spends time with him, and is consistently involved in his life.
*Call your local Department of Human Services office and ask them what they need that you could provide. Our DHS workers have incredibly difficult jobs; let's encourage them in their work.
All of these things can be done by anyone, but there is a specific group of people I want to address. Christians, is there a better picture of what Christ did for us than adoption? Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we, who were separated from God, could become sons and daughters of God. Adoption is the most tangible picture we have here on earth to demonstrate the sacrificial love of God. James 1:27 says "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." How can you get involved?
We say, as a culture, that children are our future. What would it look like if all of us really began acting like we believe that? Are we willing to pour out ourselves so children have a chance to grow up in a home with a family? Or will we continue wringing our hands, expressing concern about the upcoming generation - while we let scores of them remain in unstable environments to grow up and likely continue the cycle?
There is more to be done, pro-lifers. It is of utmost importance that "not enough" becomes a thing of the past. Let's go to battle - not just against an organization or practice, but FOR these children. From the foster homes in Craighead County to the orphanages in China, kids around the world need grown ups fighting for them. It will take all of us working together.
TobyMac has a new song that pretty much sums it up - Love Feels Like. I'll close with some of the lyrics.
Like floating confetti, beautiful gets messy
When the fallout finds the floor
But in the depths of the trenches lies the richest of riches
Love is calling us to more
This is what love feels like.
It is not enough to picket abortion clinics while we ignore the children in foster care. If we say we are pro-life, we must be pro-life, not just anti-abortion.
There are so many ways to get involved in the orphan crisis locally and globally. The obvious ones are to become a foster or adoptive parent. Many people don't realize, however, there are other ways to step into the care and prevention of orphans. Here are a few:
*Volunteer at your local Pregnancy Resource Center. I have a friend who volunteers at ours and not only was she able to counsel with a young woman about choosing life for her baby, the women became friends! My friend even took care of the baby while her mom took her college classes. That's what I'm talking about - offering help and hope. Without them, it looks too much like guilt and condemnation.
*Sponsor a child through an organization like Compassion International. CI helps families by making sure their children have adequate medical care, a good education, and food. These children may be single orphans or they may simply live in a country where work (thus, income and food) is scarce. We can partner with them, helping them keep their families together.
*Be a support to foster and adoptive parents. They are tired, mentally, physically, and emotionally. With birth parent visits, doctors' appointments, and court dates - on top of "regular" parenting, they run ragged. The emotional weight is even heavier than the physical/daily life weight. I cannot even begin to express how thankful our family is for the people who have surrounded us through our journey.
*Mentor a child in foster care. Every kid needs to know there is at least one adult in his corner. Someone who cares for him, spends time with him, and is consistently involved in his life.
*Call your local Department of Human Services office and ask them what they need that you could provide. Our DHS workers have incredibly difficult jobs; let's encourage them in their work.
All of these things can be done by anyone, but there is a specific group of people I want to address. Christians, is there a better picture of what Christ did for us than adoption? Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we, who were separated from God, could become sons and daughters of God. Adoption is the most tangible picture we have here on earth to demonstrate the sacrificial love of God. James 1:27 says "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." How can you get involved?
We say, as a culture, that children are our future. What would it look like if all of us really began acting like we believe that? Are we willing to pour out ourselves so children have a chance to grow up in a home with a family? Or will we continue wringing our hands, expressing concern about the upcoming generation - while we let scores of them remain in unstable environments to grow up and likely continue the cycle?
There is more to be done, pro-lifers. It is of utmost importance that "not enough" becomes a thing of the past. Let's go to battle - not just against an organization or practice, but FOR these children. From the foster homes in Craighead County to the orphanages in China, kids around the world need grown ups fighting for them. It will take all of us working together.
TobyMac has a new song that pretty much sums it up - Love Feels Like. I'll close with some of the lyrics.
Like floating confetti, beautiful gets messy
When the fallout finds the floor
But in the depths of the trenches lies the richest of riches
Love is calling us to more
This is what love feels like.
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