Rewrite Your Story

In a sermon I was recently listening to, the pastor said:

The call of orphan care is not a call to simply "save the orphan." The call of orphan care is to share in the suffering of the orphan. It's to intentionally position yourself, your family, your community, to suffer alongside the orphan. To say, 'Your suffering, is now my suffering. Your story, is now my story. I willingly position myself to suffer alongside you.

This truth has been echoing in my heart ever since I heard that beautiful and difficult-beyond-words call to higher living.

Why is it beautiful?

Because when we participate in orphan care, we participate in something near and dear to the very heart of Christ.

It's beautiful because we were all orphans at one point, and then Christ willingly came to suffer for us so that we could become part of His family. He made our suffering, His suffering. He made our story, His story.

And why is it difficult beyond words?

Because it's not in my human nature to willingly and purposefully take on suffering.

Suffering is something most people, including myself, try to avoid. Are we to intentionally seek it out on behalf of the orphan?

It's easy to say a prayer for the orphans. Send some money. Read a blog. Attend a children's choir concert composed of orphans from Africa or around the world.

These are the comfortable things. These are the things that make us feel good that we're doing our part in "saving the orphans."

But is that really the heart of Jesus when it comes to orphans? Is that all He requires of us?

Micah 6:8 says, "Act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Isaiah 1:17 says, "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Correct oppression. Bring justice to the fatherless. Plead the widow's cause."

That sounds a little more purposeful to me.

When we face difficulties in life, when we struggle, when we suffer, we do all that we can to move past that point of despair.
If we're sick, we go to the doctor.
If we lose a loved one, we grieve and then seek comfort. We remember the good times.
If we have a seemingly impossible decision to make, we seek wise counsel.

But if we are called to suffer alongside the orphan, what are we going to do about it? How do we move past this point of despair?

How do we look at the orphan and say, "Your story is now my story"?

For starters, here are ten ways to do orphan care without orphanages.
Each one must examine his or her own heart to see how the Lord might be moving. What He might be saying. How he might be leading.

All I know is that it's not easy. There's no simple solution. There is no one right answer.

Christ is the Father to the fatherless and the only one who can redeem lives.
Look to Him. Study the example He set for us. Seek His heart.