Orphan Awareness

I think we hear the word orphan and it doesn't truly register.
It is said so often and even times callously.
Even by those who have a heart for the orphan. We hear it daily, we talk about it daily and we read about it daily.
In the beginning of the adoption process it was quite honestly often about us here in America. What age child would be best for the biological children?
What gender of child did Paul and I feel more drawn to?
How would the sleeping arrangements work out best?
How would we do with the language barrier?
Would we love this child as much as the biological children?
What about extended family and friends?
What if the child had significant medical problems?
Could we afford to put two more children through college?

THEN.....we opened an email to this:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I think they underestimated!
This frail, sick, malnourished little package said it all!
It was not about us! It was not about college or bedroom quilts or what so and so thought about having an African in the family! It was not about who was oldest or who was going to be "twined". It was not about the cost of the adoption or which carseat to order....

It was about an ORPHAN, a little boy with no daddy. A little boy with a momma so sick and frail herself she could not even hold him. A little boy so hungry he would have died within days had the orphanage not taken him in immediately and fed him. A little boy with legs so weak he could not walk at 1 1/2 years old. A little boy so full of parasites that he was most likely in constant pain. A little boy so disconnected he would not even cry, only silent tears would roll down his little cheeks.
This was ORPHAN awareness.......
True awareness of what an orphan is and what is needed of us.
They need food....not designer clothing.
They need love....not a DisneyWorld vacation.
They need a home....not entrance to an ivy league school.

So you know the rest of our story. We took that sick frail little guy with no personality, no confidence, no charisma and with food and love and yes, even a Disney World vacation we gave that little ORPHAN all of those things and so much more! He lights up every room he enters, he has a twinkle in his eye and honestly always has a grin smeared across his face!
With God's love and mercy that ORPHAN in the above picture is now this:

So let's remember the orphan and let's remember what can be done with the grace of God when we "look after the orphans and widows" according to his scriptures.