the ways I'm currently supporting adoption

So, I was writing yesterday about my desire to adopt, which may or may not happen, but which at least seems like it will not happen any time in the near future.  But at least I believe God has shown me ways I can obey his command to care for widows and orphans, esp. through supporting adoptive families.  There are lots of different ways we can obey God and love Him by loving "the least of these," but I'll just share the main ways I think God is encouraging me to be His instrument. 

The main way I support adoptive families is by praying. And just so you know, I am no saint, or "prayer warrior," and used to be terrible about saying I would pray for things/people and then forgetting. I know, true confession time. But I taught myself two "tricks" so I would be true to my word and remember to pray for people:

1. Any time I find myself thinking about a person (whether affectionately or negatively ; ) I pray for him or her. (And I have to say, it has been a little unsettling a few times to have someone come to mind throughout the week, but NOT pray for him/her, and then later find out that person was going through something really hard and sure could have used prayer! Looking back, it sure makes me wonder if I had been given nudges from the Holy Spirit to pray for that person, and I ignored it, to my shame. So now, if I find myself thinking about someone seeming out of the blue, I pray for them!)
2. And then the second "trick" that keeps me honest and faithful with prayer is that when I tell someone (or say in a comment on a blog) that I will pray for them, I pause and do it right then.  If it was in a conversation, I do it as I walk away, or drive away, etc.  Just as soon as I possibly can, while the needs are fresh in my mind and heart.

I don't fully understand the way prayer works, and why God would urge us to pray for people when He knows their needs and hears their prayers. It seems He has designed us for relationship with each other, and with Him, and prayer is part of what knits us together in deep relationship, and brings out our compassion and care for others.  Also, just as a Mommy knows what her child needs but still likes to be asked, so I think it is with God. Our coming to Him with our needs and wants is honoring to Him and pleases Him, esp. when we are seeking the good of others. All I do know for sure is that God has directly answered my prayers way too many times to count, so I believe He is there and hears me, I believe He is fully capable of intervening as He sees fit in any situation, and I believe I have witnessed Him do so with miracles.  

Miracles, people!  (And from the things I read on so many of the adoptive families' blogs, miracles are happening everywhere to assist those trying to rescue orphans, all over the world!)

Ok, so prayer is the #1 way I am trying to support adoptive families (and not just Christian ones, either--I know of a few non-Christian adoptive moms, and my heart aches for them when things are rough, because I can't imagine how they do it without the strength and hope and patience and everything else the Holy Spirit would offer, if they believed in Him)  But there are also ways I can help adoptive families financially.  With DH's blessing, I have given gifts between $10 and $50 to help get orphans into their families as quickly as possible.  Sometimes that looks like giving towards the adoption fund of a child who is still waiting to be claimed, sometimes it looks like giving directly to a family who is ready to go get their child but is still short of funds.  It feels SO GOOD to be part of helping individual children--whose faces you can see through online pics, whose stories you can follow on their parents' blogs, who you can sometimes actually watch being transformed after the adoption by the love and care they are now receiving.  But even better is feeling like you were a part of a much larger thing--that your small gift was just one of hundreds, but it was Used to change the world for the better. 

Sometimes I tell you all about some of the kids and the families who are in dire need--because if a need is huge, maybe one of two of you will be moved as I have been, or will pass along the info to others who might be able to help a little.  The blog realm is so huge, and can be such a force for Good, so I just can't help using my little voice here (with all of its approx. 20 readers!) to see if it makes a positive different.  You never know, it just might!  But of course I don't expect any of you to be moved the same way I am, or to give towards what I give to--but it sure thrills me to think you might. ; )  So, really, advocating here on my blog could be considered another way I am supporting adoptive families.

Finally, I sometimes send little love gifts to families I have met online who are dealing with really huge post-adoption issues--there is often an enormous emotional/spiritual/psychological cost to adoption as well, esp. when families have adopted kids with neurological or attachment problems, and my heart is so with these moms who love so deeply but who suffer so much pain for it, over and over, from their kids, from judgemental churches, from ignorant service providers, from the whole wide world that does not understand the core issues.  It might be a little chocolate to someone who enjoys that, or a restaurant gift-card to a mom who is spending a lot of time in the hospital with a seriously ill child, or even just an encouraging letter or email!  A little bit of love goes a long way, and since I love giving things (must be one of my love languages) it just seems a natural way for me to support adoptive moms. 

BUT even more better than that would be supporting adoptive moms in my local area!  Interestingly enough, while I have heard of a few families in the local area who have adopted whom I could possible support, and I have reached out to them, no relationships have come from it.  So I am very open to God sending a local family/mom my way whom I can give a little love and support to "In Real Life," but so far He has not--so I will just continue to support the women and families I am meeting in the virtual world of blogs. I really do believe that God puts you where He wants to use you--and I guess He is making good use of the free time I love to spend on the computer reading blogs! 


So, anyone reading--how are you supporting widows/orphans/adoptive families?  I would love to hear!  (And for those of you who are enjoying this topic, I'll post tomorrow about practical ways to support adoptive families if you are lucky enough to know any IRL.)