Orphan Sunday

One month ago today, I saw my son's adorable face for the very first time. And, I will never forget that moment. The moment of just knowing. Knowing that this little one, who God created, was meant to be in my family.

My son.

Just blessed beyond words! That He would consider us, who have no advantages in this life, to be this little boy's family. We are incredibly blessed.

To say it has been a whirlwind of activity ever since receiving our referral for George Mason is an understatement of gargantuan proportions! lol! We have literally been non-stop with collecting paperwork, completing forms, gathering documents, praying, praying, and more praying, and working! Oh, and did I mention that somewhere in all that we find time to eat and sleep, a little. I've been keeping the midnight, 1am, 2am oil burning just trying to move forward in getting our part completed.

There is something different about this journey for sure. He isn't just some fantasy we've only imagined in our minds, he is real, and he is in an orphanage half a world away from us without our family to love him. I guess that keeps me awake at night if nothing else. Just the idea that it has already been too long without my arms around him. It spurs me on something fierce to want to finish our part as quickly as I can, so that Ch*na can get to gettin' to do their work to help us bring him home. I know it will still end up being months of hurry up and wait, but at least I'll feel better during the waiting knowing I did all that I could, as fast as I could, to bring him home. Now if everyone else would just get on the same page with me, it'd be all good. ha! Seriously though, what is UP with the Dr. offices. Shew doggies! They just don't get that we are attempting the impossible and trying to complete our home study in record time. :)

Not for nothing, but I do believe it would be easier if Christian doctors would offer up the services for these physicals for adoptive moms and dads at a lightning fast speed. Wouldn't it be great, if the people in the Body of Christ would gather together their skill sets to bless orphans by making it easier on the families trying to complete the paperwork?

What if every church had a designated doctor {or 2 or 3 or 4} to help with the physicals, 3 or 4 notaries who would volunteer their services to help families, and some lawyers who at the end of the journey could help with the re-adoption process. And maybe some travel agents to assist with the ticket arrangements.

I know not everyone is ready to adopt, but we are all called to help the orphan, and today on this Orphan Sunday, I was just thinking what a blessing it would be for professionals {who may not be called to adopt themselves} to volunteer their time and services to help families who have been called and in a small yet HUGE way help an orphan come home to their forever family.

Just an idea - something to pray about too. Praying that the Body of Christ would rise up together to make a difference for the children waiting - waiting for families. I can see it now, a wall full of photos in a doctor's office. Photos of children he helped to come home - just by getting those physicals signed and processed quickly. A book of photos laying on the coffee table in the waiting room of a law office, photos of families that answered the call to adopt and families that he helped complete the re-adoption process. And what if that work was done for 1/2 the cost or maybe even pro-bono!

Or what if, WHAT IF!, young people would call families who are going through the paperwork for adoption and offered up their babysitting services to watch the kiddos they have at home. Sitting services for going to get those fingerprints completed, for going to home study meetings with the social worker, for going together to get those passport photos taken, etc. What if a group of young people decided to work together to contribute to an orphan's fund - either a grant program, or a philanthropy, or a families fund! To make a difference for one more - to make one less orphan.

Love this thought from Mother Theresa.

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

On this Orphan Sunday, what small thing can you do this week for an orphan or for a family who is working and waiting to adopt an orphan into their forever home?

What small thing can we do with great love?

So that an orphan

Can become a beloved daughter!

And a waiting child

can become a cherished SON! :) Never, never, never under-estimate your gift. No matter how small you think that it is in comparison to what others may be doing for His Kingdom, your gift is great to those that need it! What you may think is small is multiplied in the hands of our Almighty God. And when it is offered up to others with great love, your small contribution brings God's heart JOY!