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. —James 1:27 (niv)
What if I can’t love an adopted child as much as Brogan?” It was a question I hated thinking, let alone expressing out loud. It was a question that kept me from saying yes to adoption for a long time. It was a question I needed to voice, even if it made me feel like a horrible person.
“Can you love a child who wouldn’t otherwise be loved?” my husband asked. “Yes, I can do that.” “Can we give a home to a child who wouldn’t otherwise have a home?” “Yeah, we can.” Suddenly, I got it. I was making this about me, when it wasn’t about me. It’s about the millions of orphans out there who need a family, who need love, who need somebody to take care of them. I was letting my fear keep me from obedience.
God says to take care of orphans. So I’m obeying. I’m opening my heart and my home to a child who needs a heart and a home. I’m trusting that God will equip me with everything I need to care for that little one. Already I feel a shift—an aligning—as God’s love for the orphan takes hold of my soul.
Lord God, thank You that You are a God Who sets the lonely into families, that when we step out in obedience, You give us everything we need.
