A Movement to Love Them All

 

It sounds easy, doesn't it? I mean, who doesn't agree that we should "love them all?" But, are we willing to fight for them all? Are we willing to look past race, religion, skin color, geography, illness, and meet basic needs where they're at? Are we willing to embrace the truth that ALL orphaned and abandoned children in the world are worthy and deserving of love and families - no matter what color their skin is, no matter where they were born? 

 

Sometimes, "loving them all" is about more than geography...sometimes it's about a journey that few will understand - a faith-driven mission to adopt and care for God's precious children with special needs - those who are medically-fragile or live with disabilities. Despite an uncertain diagnosis; despite how long these children will be granted on earth, despite the hardships these parents know they'll likely face - those who "love them all" see a different finish line. They see with a different set of eyes than the rest of the world, and they race against time to love these children - reaching far beyond earthly comfort zones. And, in doing so, they receive the most unexpected blessings. "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Sometimes "loving them all" means meeting them in their darkest hours and being the warmest beam of light they've ever felt in their lives. Some of them malnourished or starving, some of them in critical condition and in desperate need of medical intervention, some of them rescued from a tragic situation such as abuse or human trafficking.

Sometimes we have the privilege of caring for orphaned or abandoned children face to face, when we can speak our love into their very souls. And sometimes it comes not from our own hands directly, but - rather - through the loving actions of others, and it's through our financial provision. As the world turns, will we be the ones to make a difference?

 

Sometimes "Loving Them All" means acknowledging the plight of child trafficking as it pertains to orphaned and abandoned children. Not surprisingly, orphaned children are among the most at-risk population to be preyed upon. The possibilities for abuse are frightening. Children are sold as cheap labor. Some may end up in the dark world of prostitution, their innocence torn from them.There are even stories of traffickers harvesting human organs for sale on the black market. Children…like yours and mine.

Children in orphanages can be easy targets for traffickers. They are especially vulnerable due to the lack of stable parental figures. The schedules and isolation of orphanages makes it easy to coerce children to leave and find ways to exploit them. Even when orphaned children age out of an institution, vulnerability continues as some of these evil humans will sit and wait for those who children to leave.

Trafficking is a documented global problem that defies borders. This evil does not discriminate in age, race, or skin color. What we can express with confidence is that God designed the family as the best environment for children. Safe, permanent, loving family must be our goal whenever possible. And when it isn’t, we must find solutions that are as close to that as possible, such as foster care. When a child experiences the protection and love of at least one consistent, caring adult relationship, evildoers are far less likely to pursue them. and if we care about human trafficking, we must care for orphaned children and foster youth wherever the need may be.

 

Will we respond, or will we turn a blind eye to the hurting and vulnerable because it's just easier to do so...

 

 

If not us, then who? If WE are not willing to put our hearts on the line and BE the Gospel, who will? Friends, we can't rely on others to stand in that gap. WE need to be the first line of offense in answering that call and loving them all. 

Through support of adoption and foster care, we CAN be the change. Even if we aren't able to answer that call ourselves, we can support those who do. And we can support reputable orphan care missions for the countless children who are locked away in institutions, unaware of what the outside world even looks like.

Will you answer the call to love them all?  Here's an easy place to start.  By supporting our "Love Them All" apparel fundraiser, you'll be supporting our mission to help orphaned and abandoned children around the world.  One child - one heart - at a time. Love them ALL.