Numbers...

Numbers and Images have been plaguing my mind... leaving me speechless, clouding my day, showing me humility, stealing a piece of my heart.

For a long time now, the sheer amount of orphans in this world just staggers me.  Did you know that there are approximately 147 MILLION orphans?!   And yet there are approximately 2 BILLION Christians in the world... 

Christians who are being called to follow teaching of the BIble, the words of God which tell us...

I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.

John 14:18

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:14,17-18

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40

 

Which means that if "WE" were truly living this out, if only 7% were truly following Christ, truly living these words... There would be No. More. Orphans.  None.  And pictures like those in the former video... those now in my head non stop... simply would NOT exist.  We would be neighbors.  We would help one another with food and shelter; simple, basic needs.  We would take in orphans.  We would help widows.  And we would have instead pictures like these...

It challenges ME to live even more frugally than we already do.  To cut out some of our summer plans to focus on those I can do for free or next to free with coupons and deals and specials.  To work even harder to come up with fundraising ideas.  To go back through all of our clothing “buckets” and weed down even more, taking the extra to our local consignment store and in turn putting that money into our adoption fund.  To do the same with those toys that pile up and seem to rarely get used.  To advocate for the people of the country we're adopting from.  To do my part to help so that this country of the future is a safe, beautiful, happy country where my (hopefully) future child can be proud to return to visit.

I will do my best to live out these verses... how about you?