Pure and Faultless?

I am tempted to write about how hard this wait is for us.  It would be easy to elaborate on the ways we are coping -- or not coping.  We got "in line" for the travel approval wait at the same time a major slowdown took place in the process. 

There are many families caught here with us.  A few have waited since September.  A few months ago, TAs were arriving in 4 days to 2 weeks.  Of course, we never dreamed that after 4 weeks we would continue to wait.  This process is anything but predictable.  Stable maybe, but not predictable. 

There's a rumor that over 100 TAs were released recently.  We'll have to wait and see.

November is recognized as Orphan Awareness Month.  How aware are you?  I believe that we are so spoiled here (me included!) in the US that we have no concept of what it means to truly suffer.

We do have pain, no doubt.  Our children have problems.  We must walk many rough roads yet around every corner, in our society, is a way to cope.  That coping may be healthy or not.  But it's there.  We can grasp a fix, however temporary, fairy easily.  How about some retail therapy?  Chocolate fix?  Stiff drink?  Brainless movie?

Maybe some seek healthier ways to cope.  They might talk with a friend, pray, or exercise (reasonably).  I am not saying that any of these are bad in and of themselves. What I am tyring to say is we have some control over how we work through our circumstances.  We have a say in how we choose to respond.

But, what about the orphan.  What happens when their life isn't going quite right?  What about kids in foster care who run away repeatedly from their foster homes because even those places aren't safe?  Are we so comfortable that we can turn a blind eye toward it?  Can we learn of this and not do something?

We aren't all called to parent these kids, but I believe all those who claim to follow Jesus are called to do something.  And, maybe I will write more about this later.  For now, let me close with two things.  First, let me share a scripture that I see often enough that it easily could become cliche, but it's very real.

Religion that God our Father

accepts 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

Second, I want to share an article that reached into the depths of my heart. Read it at this link Abba Changes Everything.