It is appropriate, she supposes,
that the metal table under her back is shockingly cold. It mirrors the coldness running through her
veins at the thought of what the doctor is about to do. Everyone says that this is her choice, but
really, what choice does she have? Her
one true love, the one she thought would be by her side forever, is long
gone. She has little education, few job
skills, and no means of supporting herself, much less another person. She can’t ask the members of her church for
help; they would surely ostracize her if they knew, looking at her with raised
eyebrows, scorn and judgment.
The straps around her feet feel as
heavy as chains, shackling her to this table, enslaving her to this terrible
moment. The child inside her will never
be an orphan; he will never even take a breath.
This
desperate girl
and her
unborn child
need to be
rescued.
**************************************************************
For him, the chains are real, securing
his foot to his steel bed, eliminating any possibility of freedom. The bars on the windows are made of iron; whether
they were built to keep him in or to keep strangers out, he will never
know. The gates surrounding the
orphanage where he lives are made of bronze, ornately decorated so that the
multitudes of people passing by every day never suspect the horrors that the
children behind them must endure.
His mother, with great courage and
determination, had chosen to give him life, and then took him to the one place
where she hoped he would be fed, clothed, and educated. But he is no longer a baby, and with each
passing year he becomes more and more unadoptable.
This dear
child needs to be rescued.
**************************************************************
She huddles next to her little
sister in the dark alley, trying everything she can to keep them both
warm. Quietly shooing away the rats
without attracting the attention of the human predators. Once again they are going to sleep
hungry. The discarded bread crust they
found was devoured hours ago, and anyway, their hollow tummies barely felt
it. Once again they have no idea what their
future will hold. What tomorrow will
hold. Once again, they pray that they will survive
this cold dark night.
If they are ever going to make it to
adulthood, they need protection. They
need nutrition and a safe place to stay and an education and medicine. Because of the civil unrest in their country,
however, and the frequent chaos and the unstable government, there are no
social services. And even if there were,
it would be next to impossible to locate their family members. It would be impossible for anyone to verify
their status as orphans. It would be
impossible for them to be adopted.
There are programs in their city
that could possibly provide them with life’s basic necessities, if only the
funds could be found. Do the rich people
know of their plight? Do they know that
the extra change in their pockets could mean the difference between life and
death for these girls? It’s a simple
choice, really: the price of a life or
the price of a latte.
These
precious girls need to be rescued.
**************************************************************
Thankfully, we don’t have that
problem here in the United States. We
have a well-organized social services system that protects vulnerable children
and closely monitors the foster homes where they are placed. We feed and clothe our orphans, provide them
with an education and ensure that they have access to health care.
Sure, the living conditions might be
better for him. He may have his physical
and medical and educational needs taken care of. He may not be in danger of starvation. But eating at a stranger’s table, moving from
home to home, changing schools in the middle of the year, not one person in the
world who calls him “son” . . . what kind of childhood is that? A temporary placement can never take the
place of a forever family. The
insecurity and inconsistency and loneliness cause him to despair.
He needs so much more than food and
shelter. Every day that he is in foster
care, his chains of insignificance and hopelessness and uncertainty become
stronger and thicker. Unbreakable. The iron bars around his heart become
hardened. Impenetrable.
This
invisible orphan needs to be rescued.
**************************************************************
Who will
show them the way out of the darkness
and the
deepest gloom?
Who will
break the chains that hold them captive?
The chains
of poverty, fear, starvation, hopelessness.
Who will
break down the gates of bronze
and cut
through the bars of iron?
Who will
sponsor them?
Who will
welcome them into their family?
Protecting life. Providing a family through adoption. Child sponsorship. Foster parenting. Each one of them is vital to a child’s
life. Each one is an important pillar in
the ministry – the grand, daunting, sometimes overwhelming ministry - that we
call orphan care. Individuals and
families who aspire to make a difference for these orphaned and vulnerable
children - who devote their lives to serving “the least of these” - are
pursuing a calling that is noble, valuable, and selfless, and many times even
heroic.
Every time an adult takes the first
step – picking up the phone to request information; attending an introductory
meeting or a conference; praying about where to serve – the darkness trembles.
When the judge in family court bangs
his gavel? That’s the sound of chains
breaking.
A child’s laughter. A ride on dad’s shoulders. Getting tucked into a warm bed with a big
smooch and a playful tickle. One by one
the iron bars are being cut, the bronze gates are breaking down.
However . .
.
We must never, not for one minute,
lose sight of the fact that these children need to be rescued from something
much more sinister and dangerous than orphanages, hunger, and hopelessness. Even more terrifying than starvation and death. There is a stronger chain, an impenetrable
gate, and bars that are completely indestructible that even the most
altruistic, sacrificial person is incapable of breaking. These children, along with every person ever
born on this earth, are slaves to darkness.
They are in an isolated, lonely prison cell that separates them from a
holy God.
If we protect lives and adopt
orphans and sponsor the poor and care for foster children, all the while
neglecting their need for a Savior, we will have done them no favors. We will have accomplished nothing. Their physical needs may have been met and
their futures may have been secured – temporarily. But it is their spiritual need, their eternal
future that is far more important.
Yes, we can
rescue them from their present circumstances.
But only He
can rescue them from their sin.
Yes, they
need a father.
But they
need a Heavenly Father even more.
Yes, they
need to be safe.
But more
importantly, they need to be saved.
They need to know the love of Jesus,
and understand how to find forgiveness at the foot of the cross.
They need to learn how to put their
hope, not in a human parent or in ideal circumstances, but in a sovereign,
loving God who will never fail. Who will
never disappoint.
He is the One who is able to heal
the deep wounds. Who is able to offer
true and lasting Hope. Perfect Freedom.
He is the One who is who can bring
them out of darkness and the deepest gloom.
Who can break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
Let us never forget that He is the only
One who can truly break their chains.
**************************************************************
“They were
hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried
out to the Lord in their trouble, and He
delivered them from their distress.
Let them give
thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds, for
He satisfies the thirsty and fills
the hungry with good things.
Some sat in
darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron
chains, . . . Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and
the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
Let them give
thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds,
for He breaks down gates of bronze and
cuts through bars of iron. . . “
Psalm 107
**************************************************************
My husband and I are involved in
the
orphan care ministry at our church in Cary, NC.
The ministry is
based on these pillars:
Proclaim the
Gospel
Protect Children
Provide
Resources
Provide a Home
Promote
Awareness
For more
information and updates about this ministry,
please “like”
our Facebook page at
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