A rose by any other name...

is still a rose.

This thought hit me today when I had the privilege to visit a Children's Home here in San Antonio.

While it was a great place with an excellent staff and a wonderful ambiance it was still an orphanage. A place for children who have no parents or parents who are unable to care for them.

For most of my life I have thought of orphanages as places overseas that are dark and dreary. But today I realized that right here in our own state there ARE orphanages. Yes, we like to make ourselves feel better by calling them children's homes but never the less there are still thousands of children (yes, thousands...in Texas alone) living without the love and care of a mom and a dad. No, our orphanages are not dark and dreary, they are bright and colorful and offer the best care you can possibly hope for in an institutional setting.

While I was so blessed by the ministry of this children's home and all that they are doing to make a difference in the lives of these sweet children, I couldn't help but think about what it would have been like to grow up there, without the love and protection of my mom and dad and just the comfort of my own home.

I know that not everyone is called to adoption. But I do know that James says that religion that God accepts involves looking after the widows and orphans in our world. I do know that 1 John says that we are to love not with words or tongue but with action and in truth. I do know that when Jesus talks about His followers in Matthew 25 they were the ones who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the prisoners.

You may be called to adopt. You may be called to foster. You may be called to sponser child so that they can stay with their families and have access to the care they need. You may be called to go and visit orphans in America or across the globe. You may be called to give to a family who needs help to be able to stay together. You may be called to pray for orphans and those who will be called to visit them or adopt them. You may be called to help educate families in Africa or other parts of the world about AIDS so there are not as a many orphans from this deadly disease. You may be called to give to families who are adopting. You may be called to help struggling parents who desperately want to get their lives together so they can get their children back. I don't know what your calling is...but I do know that we, as His children, are called to love and not just with our words!

I know that is heavy stuff and I don't want to step on toes or be a downer it is just something that God really laid on my heart! :)

Blessings!