Eyes Opened

I hate sad movies and books!  I do not like to waste time and money watching/reading something depressing.  I feel like life is hard enough as it is so why fill my free time down in the dumps.  So for awhile that's the approach I took on the starving orphans in Africa and around the world.  Deep down I knew they existed, but I just didn't think about them.  Part of it was out if sight out of mind, part of it was how can I even begin to make a difference, and part of it was just me not wanting to think about them and their daily struggles.  But I praise God that our eyes have been opened because this isn't just a movie or book.  This is real lives - precious, innocent lives - and real souls that need to be filled with a parent's love and the Father's love. 
Not only that but as Christians we are called to take care of the orphans.  I always considered myself a good, caring person, but to be completely honest, my way of "taking care" of an orphan was buying him/her a Christmas gift every year.  I don't think that's what God has in mind at all.  I looked up orphans (fatherless) in the Bible concordance a few months back, and I was amazed at how often they are talked about particularly in the old testament.  (Is. 1:17, Ps. 82:3,4) The Israelites were commanded to leave a portion of their crops for the orphans in addition to what they were to "give" to God (Deut. 24:19-21).  God was concerned about their well being then, and I know he is still today. (James 1:27)  Personally I think what I do to help the poor, orphans, or widows should be part of my everyday life and  separate from what I also give to God. (Matt 25: 35)

Congo alone has about 5 million orphans.  While that may seem too big to tackle, I know that I can make a difference for at least one.  Then hopefully I can encourage someone else to do the same, and they can do the same, and then before we know it hundreds-thousands of children's lives have been changed.  Katie (Kisses with Katie) and her life has changed (directly or indirectly) the lives of hundreds if not thousands of lives.  There are no limits to God's power to change lives through us. 

There are three main ways each person can help the orphans.
1.  Bring them into your home - foster or adopt
2.  Resources - sponsor a child, give to families trying to adopt, donate items to a child or orphanage
3. Time - be a mentor, reading buddy, etc to an orphan

I read that 30% of Christians have thought about adopting, but only 1% do.  It is also said that if only 7% of all Christians adopted an orphan there wouldn't be anymore. 
Satan - the source of pain and suffering - doesn't want that to happen.  He will distract us or fill us with all sorts of reasons that keep us from helping, but it is our prayer that more people's eyes will also be opened.  It is time for action!

"Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it.  For God knows all hearts, and he sees you.  He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew!  And he will judge all people according to what they have done." Proverbs 24:12 NLT

BTW family we posted pics of our boys a couple days ago (see below) in case you missed it.  :)