Held: A Doubly Special Sunday

Today is a special day in our house for two reasons.

The first one is that today is Orphan Sunday. Four years ago, I don't think I knew that November is National Adoption Month. I'm sure I didn't know that the first Sunday in November is Orphan Sunday; but, during the last four years, God has opened my eyes to the plight of the orphan. He has broken my heart over the hurts of the fatherless.

There are over 18 million orphans in our world.

18 million children who have lost both of their parents.

163 million children who have lost one parent.

On this Orphan Sunday - a day when the news about our little ones in Eastern Europe is not good, a day when we've learned that the delays we've been facing will almost certainly stretch into 2012, a day when I ache at the thought that the children of our hearts may never be children who live in our home - I challenge you to not let the statistics above be just numbers.

I ask you to open your heart to the possibility that you can make a difference in the life of 1 of those 163 million orphans.

I beg you to allow God to give you His heart for the fatherless.

Want a glimpse at the heart of our Heavenly Father? The Bible is clear.

My God is the Defender of the Fatherless.

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. (Psalm 82:3)

My God is a father to those who have no earthly father.

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

My God has called His children to care for orphans.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress... (James 1:27)

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)

Yes, the statistics are staggering. The need is overwhelming. The pain of the orphan is so far removed from our every day middle-class American lifestyle. So what can you do?

1.) Consider adoption.  I know, adoption isn't for everyone. But it's not just for a special circle, either. An orphaned child needs a loving family. Not a perfect family. Not a rich family. Not a got-it-all-together family (or else we should just give up on this whole thing right now!).

Clearly, God's heart breaks for little ones without parents. He is the one who "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6). Have you prayed about how He might use your family to touch the life of an orphaned child? Want to meet some of these precious kiddos? Click here and prepare for your heart to be moved in a big way.

2.) Support an adopting family.  Adoption is a grueling journey. It is painful, discouraging, and - at times - completely heartbreaking. Is it worth it? Absolutely! However, there are times when adoptive families (or at least one certain adopting family I happen to know) feel like they are alone on an island. What they're doing is different. People sometimes don't know what to say, what to ask, or how to help. Support from friends and family members is a priceless gift.

Here are a few practical ways to encourage a family who is adopting.
  -Ask them for specific prayer requests and pray for them regularly. Let them know you are praying.
  -Have a baby (or toddler or big kid) shower for them. Sometimes things like this that are a regular part of welcoming a biological child get overlooked when a family is adopting.
  -Give lots of hugs. Avoid giving lots of really great-sounding advice.
  -Help them financially. Adoption is crazy expensive. Don't ever think your gift is too small.

3.) Sponsor a child.  This is something you can do through many wonderful organizations like Compassion International, World Vision, and Project Hope and Charite. I would love to sponsor a child each time we add a child to our family - maybe even a child born in the same month or year. I think this would be an incredible way to teach our children how big our world really is and how blessed we really are.

I know I've said this before, but I can't thank all of you enough for sharing in our journey. I am blessed by the family and friends - in real life and in blogland - who have walked this long road with us. You guys pretty much rock.

Yes, I did say that this day is special for two reasons. Want to know Reason #2?

November 6 is Emma's adoption day. Three years ago today we sat in a lawyer's office and officially became Em's forever family. (She was ours when we brought her home from the hospital, but this is the day we finished all the legal steps.)