Light Breaks Forth || Caring for Orphans as a Family.

 “God has called us to be a defender of the defenseless because that is who He is. We are returning worship to God when we show His character to the world by championing the cause of the least of these.” 
- Orphanology 

Caring for orphans is not the responsibility of the state or the government of another country: it’s the work of God’s people. And I believe it starts with us and our families.

IDEAS FOR YOUR LITTLES:

Start with scripture. There are five things God's Word tells us about caring for the poor. Even young children can count to five on their fingers and memorize these things. (Thanks to Lisa Kjeldaarld for giving me permission to share these with you!)

     1. God is concerned. (Psalm 140:12)
     2. God identifies Himself with the poor. (Proverbs 14:31)
     3. God commands us to act. (Isaiah 1:17)
     4. God blesses those who serve. (Proverbs 19:17)
     5. God punishes those who ignore orphans. (Jeremiah 5:28)

Serve with your kids. I have yet to find anywhere in the bible where it says mamas with lots of littles are exempt from serving. There are seasons I understand where serving is not possible, but a season is a season. There are places you can serve with your kids. You just have to seek them out, ask, and sometimes get a little creative.

Visit refugee families. In our area there are a TON of refugee families in need of stuff. We have stuff (we are American after all) so we can give some of it away. I love involving my kids in cross-cultural ministry because they get to see that not everyone looks like them, talks like them or has all of the things they have. Search for a refugee ministry near you. 

Sponsor a child/woman/familiy. Through Compassion International you can search for a child by location, gender, and age allowing you to sponsor a child/children the same gender and age as your kid/dos at home. I think this adds an extra layer of interest and reality for your kids as to the life of your sponsored child. 

PRAY! Our kids pick up on what is important to us. If we are not praying for orphans and vulnerable children, our kids won’t be either. Ask God to break your heart and the hearts of your children for what breaks His.

(THIS POST from our friend Lindsy Wallace was too good not to repost! For the full post, & more words of wisdom, head over to HER BLOG.)