Today is Orphan Sunday.
When you hear those words what comes to mind? While the majority of us will go about our normal Sunday routines which for many will include church services and Sunday lunch with either family or friends, millions of orphans around the world (over 100 million to give you an idea) will go through a day that will look much different. Some may not be fed, some will cry and their cries will go unanswered, some may watch parents arrive to adopt their best friend, but wonder when "their family" is going to come, or maybe there is a child who has already aged out of the system and can no longer be adopted. Our minds could wander a million directions with this thought and what the life of an orphan could look like from day to day; however, we will never fully know the thoughts that these children may have each day as they live the only life that some of them may ever know.
However, today will be a different day for these children as thousands will gather in churches all around the globe to set aside time for cooperate prayer and to bring awareness to God's mandate for orphans. Churches will engage individuals to step out of their comfort zones to serve orphans, serve in the foster care system in the U.S., consider adopting, or initiate projects to care for orphans. National Orphan Sunday is a designated day set aside each year to pause and reflect on the orphan crisis around the world, pray for orphans and those adopting, and to seek to make a difference. It is a day not only focused on by churches here in the United States, but by churches in over 50 countries around the world. Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) has a number of amazing resources and video clips that will give you a glimpse into this amazing day and how you can learn more about what God is doing globally. Though not every church can schedule Orphan Sunday on the first Sunday of November, God is still using Orphan Sunday in a big way on other days of the year in churches around the globe.
What an amazing thought that while you or I may pause today to pray for orphans, families adopting or that have adopted, and those children who are still desiring a forever family, thousands of believers and churches around the globe will also be lifting up their voices in prayer, time zones away, to pray for those whose voices have been silenced and who cannot speak for themselves.
I have been blessed to work for an amazing non-profit that not only works alongside CAFO and several other amazing organizations who are serving orphans, but promotes and prays passionately for orphans around the world and provides tangible ways for families and individuals to be the hands and feet of Christ by taking mission trips to serve orphans around the world or through various orphan care projects. I can say personally a trip to India many years ago to work with over 600 orphans was life-changing for me personally.
I've seen the same thing occur time and again the lives of people who have answered the call to "Go". Over the years, it has been incredible to be a part of adoption processes and see thousands of orphans being placed into loving Christian families- being transformed from an orphan into a son or daughter.
There are numerous ways to get involved in orphan care and I'd encourage you to take the time to learn more and get involved. There are numerous organizations you will find by searching the internet, but here are a few of the many that I wanted to highlight who are answering God's call to care for orphans. Even if God has not called you to adopt, there are still many ways you can be a part of what God is doing around the world. You can be a voice for important adoption legislation here in the U.S. that affects millions of lives, you can support local foster families, or maybe God is calling you to "GO" and be his hands and feet in a tangible way or even calling you to adopt.
What is HE asking YOU to do?
Christian Alliance for Orphans
Show Hope
National Council for Adoption
Lifesong for Orphans
Project Hopeful
ACT
