John 14:18

It is no secret that we Langford’s have a special place in our hearts for orphans and adoption. However, the words of David Nasser at the National Worship Leader’s Conference in Kansas a couple of years ago really changed my whole perspective. What he said made me catch my breath and then weep. He said, “There are 150 million orphans in the world. However, if only 8% of the church would adopt, there would be no more need for orphanages.” Wow! That is not 8% of the world but 8% of God’s people who are instructed to minister to the widows and orphans.

James 1:27
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Do we not want to offer up to our Father what is pure and undefiled?

Beautiful Brokeness

Saturday night, I was sitting in my living room which was unusually crowded with people. All around the room, sitting in pulled in kitchen chairs, couches, piano benches and the floor and standing in open doorways were the members of the faith family that is our small group. We were all listening intently as our new friend, Kristy O’Leary, shared with us her family’s vision for the plight of the orphans in Ghana, Africa. I watched faces and reactions, as I typically do, and saw hurt, heartache and brokenness. We were weeping and wrapping our hearts around those too far for our arms to reach. When all questions were answered and all concerns voiced, we stood together; hands and hearts joined in prayer. Seconds before the amen was whispered, my head still bowed, I opened my eyes. A tiny flash caught my vision, almost like a falling star until it splashed on the floor. There were more; small wet circles where droplets had landed before the feet of many around the circle. An instant later, feet shuffled and small puddles were wiped away. I cherish that vision. My faith family, sweetly broken for orphaned children a world away.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of us that night :)