orphan Sunday

so today is orphan Sunday. I don't even know where to start. which soap box to stand on. which stories to tell. I always hoped that I would be given the opportunity to parent an "orphan". at least, for as long as I can remember. I was fascinated by movies about orphans as a child. Annie, Anastasia, Madeline, The Little Princess, and many other Shirley Temple movies. from a young age, I recognized the misfortune and the void that I had never had to experience.
the word "orphan" is weird for me to type. it isn't politically correct anymore. but I don't think it is because it offends those without parents as much as it offends everyone else.
today biggie was asking me why a "brown girl in his class had a white mommy?" this was a funny question for a lot of reasons. partially because her mom is actually "brown" but her babysitter is white so he was confused. mostly because he identifies me as his mommy. it is clear in conversations that he forgets that I didn't name him or birth him. so I said, "well, you are brown and you have a white mommy?" to which he so matter of factly replied, "that is because I had never met you before!"
how beautiful is that? we had never even met 13 months ago. I had prayed for them before I even knew them. all 4 of the children that have already been in my home. and the ones that I still haven't met.
my heart is so overjoyed at the thought of the children still to come to our home. what their story will be.
the one thing I know is that they all need love. and they all have the capacity to love.
I don't know who all reads my blogs. I probably have readers I don't know. but there is one thing I know about all of my readers who believe in Christ. YOU are called to orphan care. yes. YOU. how do I know? because it is scattered all throughout the bible. each verse has a different message. but they all call us to care for orphans. it doesn't say "unless you are too busy, or your house is too small, or you are scared of getting hurt, or you don't want it to affect your family negatively."
we are all called to care for orphans. there are so many ways to do this. so many organizations. so many options. so much need. if you want to be connected with a way to care and don't know where to start, message me. I would be happy to help you figure out how your God given gifts can serve orphans around us. google. get creative. not because I am telling you that you have to, but because God created and called you to this.

as far as a personal update, we have court tomorrow for biggie and smalls as well as tiny. this will be the first time we will see bigs and smalls mom since March. it will be the second time I will see tiny's mom and Aaron's first time meeting her.
we aren't expecting a lot out of tiny's case because it is still very early in the case.
however, biggie and smalls are coming up on 2 years in care. and their baby brother, sugar ray has been in care all but 4 days of his 15 months of life. we are hoping that some decisions are made regarding them tomorrow that will help us move towards the future we hope for.
please send us prayers and good vibes tomorrow. pray for the moms and the judge and the caseworkers and the attorneys. pray for clarity and justice.
let this years orphan Sunday be the one you look back on and remember deciding to care for the orphan in a new way. we are all called.