Defending Orphans...

There are two verses of scripture that consistently strike my heart whenever i read them. 

"Learn to do good.

Seek Justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of ORPHANS.

Fight for the rights of WIDOWS."

Isaiah 1:17  

" Religion that God our father sees as pure and faultless is this: to look after ORPHANS and WIDOWS in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Have you ever wondered what your calling in life would be? Thought that maybe you weren't hearing God, or God wasn't hearing you? Wanted to do something amazing for Him like Beth Moore or Elizabeth Elliot,  yet you were just here in this ordinary life. I used to feel that way. Funny though, I'm still here in this ordinary life and i feel 100% content in how he is using me.

I think that is where we need to be...content with however he chooses to use us. Somehow God has given me over the years a heart for 2 of the things that are most important to Him. Orphans and Widows. And He has given me the privilege of helping both in my small way. Wow... that amazes me. That God in His hugeness is using me and my smallness to show people His heart. 

Widows...

I lead a nursing home ministry out of our church and it is one of the things that God gave me when i really didn't want it. You see He told someone else to tell me I should do it. And God, knowing that i have a very hard time saying no to things, knew that i would say yes to this person's persistent personality and just do it. So i started it. Now with each visit people are changed by the wonderful people i serve with in that ministry. And 2 years later it is one of the true joys of my heart. 

Orphans...

I wanted to have a biological child in the beginning.  Mostly just so i could go through the whole pregnancy thing like other cute woman walking around with little bellies and cute clothes. But God never really gave me a true desire to give birth. Nor did He give that desire very strongly to Eric. You see He had a plan for us. One night at a concert He opened our eyes to adoption and we never looked back. Now if you ask either of us, we will tell you flat out that we hope God's plan of adoption for us never ends. We hope that He will give us all of our children this way. It is the desire of our hearts. 

Now i speak at seminars and in schools about how wonderful and important adoption is. I tell them Juli's story. And soon i will tell them Elias' story. Oh how i am longing for the day i can tell people his whole beautiful story!

Are either of the things that God has given me to serve Him with huge? Not to most of  the world. In fact to some of the world the elderly are not important at all. But to me they are HUGE. And to god they are HUGE. And so I in my smallness have been given 2 life verses. 2 life songs. I didn't go searching for either of them. They are true gifts given to me by my father in heaven. And they are far better than any material thing this life has to offer. 

If you are looking for something fulfilling in your life... Ask God. He has a great one hidden in your heart that He wants to show you.

By the way, the picture above was taken in Juli's orphanage in Siberia. This was the toddler room where the 2 and 3 year olds lived. Aren't they precious?