orphan care

You know how six months after you’re married everyone starts asking, “So when are you having kids?”

Same type of thing happens once you adopt.

“So, are you going to adopt again?”

And quite honestly it seems like most families who adopt once, adopt again. And sometimes again, and again, and again.

So it’s a fair question.

And I always react with this really pronounced pause.

Then, “Well, we don’t currently have plans to.”

Because I’ve learned not to say “No” to God. That’s basically like telling an eight-year-old boy “I double-dog dare you”.

You know, because I told him we were not having more kids 6 years. Two was good.

And he laughed at me. Probably hysterically. In a loving sort of way, of course 🙂

So I will say that we currently do not have plans to adopt again. Mark and I are both passionate about orphans but are focused, mostly through our work with World Orphans, on the millions of kids who will never be adopted internationally. How we can we keep, or place, them in families? How can we show them the love of Christ?

And of course, there’s the book – my own little crusade to help as many OTHER people adopt as possible.

But, I won’t say never. I’m too smart for that.

I find myself really at a loss for words as to how to describe the last 3 days. I have cried abundant tears and laughed until my sides hurt. I have been angered, saddened and encouraged all at the same time. To say the Together for Adoption Conference was a roller coaster of emotions would be an understatement.

But the ride was amongst an AMAZING community. Hundreds of people indescribably passionate about the orphan. While we are fortunate to have friends and family who understand our passion and support us I know there were many at T4A who spend most of their time feeling alienated because of their strong passion. How amazing for us all to come together and support and encourage one another.

Worship with this group was goose bump-inducing. The Holy Spirit was there – fully present – as Aaron Ivey led us to the throne in worship so many times during the two days. I will totally cop to crying – like full on, can’t-sing-a-word UGLY crying! It was beautiful (the worship, NOT my face). And I know I wasn’t the only one. Thank you Aaron and band!

I have so many thoughts to share from the conference that I know it will probably be several posts worth.

Today I’m going to camp on this one.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”
Psalms 68:5

The verse is not a new revelation. In fact as an orphan community it’s one of our favorites. But on Saturday Robert Gelanis of Colorado Community Church said something that made so many of us go “Wow!”

If God is father to the fatherless then that means he is a husband.

Who is his bride?

The church.

That means the church is the mother of the fatherless.

Of course we know that as a church we need to be caring for the orphan, no one was clueless on that. But to put it in that perspective was like a light bulb going on.

God is not father to SOME of the fatherless. He is a father to all of them.

So how, as the church, are we going to become a mother to ALL of them.

Not some. All.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalms 68:5

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”
Psalms 68:5