The Call Of The Orphan

This is a post I placed on AFF's website just this morning and I am feeling called to post it here too. Thank you for taking time to hear the call to read it!

James 1:27
“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.”

The cursor is blinking this morning more than I would like. I am trying to find the words to explain how God is laying the above scripture heavily on my heart right now.

In August 2008 we were panicked over how we could show the world that loosing Anna was not something God did “to us” but something He was “working in us”. The night before Anna’s funeral service we prayed, wept and prayed more on how to touch every person who attended. We wanted to only reflect the glory of God and have that forever change them as they left her service. God has shown us in so many detailed ways that we succeeded that day and that He is pleased with us. We still felt He wanted us to do more. Men and women have always handled things differently and Tony and I are no exception to that fact. Women feel and need to work through the emotions of “feeling” something, so I blogged our whole first year about the uphill, gut wrenching grief. It was therapy for me as I walked through the valley in the shadow of death. Men want to “fix” something or take “action” in some way to move the scales back to a balanced position. I believe this is something God breathed into Adam long ago. So was breathed the dream of Anna’s Forever Families into Tony’s soul. The truth is AFF started for Tony as a way to get out of the bed every morning after loosing his sweet baby. He prayed for God to give him the strength and God answered with a direction for his grief and anguish. That is how we walked together through the valley. Yes, we were on two different tracks but those tracks were on the same road.

Anna’s Forever Families is now established as a non-profit and has awarded grants for two financial quarters. There is so much need for assistance in this world and it is at times like this morning I wish I had the resources to help each and every hand that is open and needs filling. The fact is I do not personally have those type of resources in my possession. AFF started with the assistance of people who shared the vision of helping the orphan in need. Specially made individuals who were touched by Anna and how special she was. They saw Anna as a waiting child who like a shooting star left so quickly but changed the view of their horizon with her presence. Tony met in detail to explain how God was calling him specifically to help the special orphan who is born with issues so many see as “too much” to handle. That is how AFF was blessed to start. People called together by the story of a special little girl and the desire to do something to help children just like her. The goal was set to glorify God by stewarding resources He provided to needy families during the course of their journey to adopt their own wonderfully made child.

In the near future AFF sees an obstacle. This morning my prayer is that this organization will continue to cling to the above verse and stay focused. AFF does not want to loose hope from the looming bottom line. I pray for His peace. Peace in the faith He will continue to provide resources to Anna’s little legacy. That He will speak to peoples hearts on AFF’s behalf to continue to help the calling orphan.

Anna’s Forever Families is and will be administrated by donations of the heart and that is something God has made very clear. We know that AFF will never be a “capital campaign” non profit. Even though AFF is small it can help make a difference. The difference starts with a small, still voice that God sends out to hearts that says…..”you need to help.” The world is polluted with the things to “want” or “desire” and this distracts from God’s call. The enemy in all his glory loves when he can distract. When God’s word is meditated on day and night, verses just like James 1:27 can be heared through the distractions.

The desire is to never have to post on this site that AFF does not have the funds to award families for a financial quarter. The only way AFF can do that is with help. The need for people to quiet the pollution of worldly distractions all around them and hear the voice to help. The call of the orphan……..the special made orphan, the call of the Father. Anna’s Forever Families is striving to have that orphans call not only heard but with help take them one step closer to their forever family. To do that AFF needs your help. Change not only your life by seeing through the world and all it’s distractions but by being a part of changing the life and world of a waiting orphan.

I pray the cry for help this morning echo’s not my words but our Heavenly Fathers. May peace and many blessings be given to you in 2010!

In His Service,
Jo