TRUE FAMILY ATTRACTS!

 
As I was reading Phil Wagler’s book Kingdom Culture I ran across a sentence “True family is incredibly attractive to orphaned souls”. I stopped reading further because these words just touched me. Even though the author was talking about Church and it’s ministry to all kinds of people I immediately though about our ministry to aged out orphans. It is so true! They are attracted to New Hope Center family, not to its programs or benefits. Yes, we are a group of people that became a true family that accepts, encourages, and  prays for orphans. Here are just few words what this means in our day to day life with orphans.

I often wondered how can God love sinner and hate his\her sin at the same time! I mean how does He do it practically? Being His children we are called to do the same – love orphans and hate their sins. And we need to do it practically dealing with all kinds of orphan’s issues every day. But what ever words or actions we chose in a particular situation with particular orphan to show that we ACCEPT them, they always feel if its true. Some times it is hard work for both. For us to find just right way to express acceptance and for orphans to believe they can be accepted. But whenever trust relationships are built we both know that result is worthy of efforts. Orphans feel safe, accepted and loved. It is a great joy for everybody!

At the same time we do not stop at just acceptance level. We accept them the way the are and love them to much to let them stay the way they are. What they do is often destructive first of all for themselves as well as for others. So, we ENCOURAGE aged out orphans in personal and spiritual growth. Do they accept the encouragement? Often not, at least not when we say things first time. Oh, this teen age! So, we continue showing our acceptance and encouraging them to grow. Growth takes time and even more… our patience. We PRAY a lot - for orphans we love and for ourselves for loooong patience. And we do not stop. We believe God can do miracles today, He can heal broken hearts to give orphans new future. God is the God of orphans!

True family does attract orphaned souls! And even though most of us can not physically become moms and dads for orphans TOGETHER with you we have become a true family that accepts, encourages and loves orphans. It is the family that attracts orphans, not programs! So let's just continue in the year 2015 to be a family, family of people united by God’s calling to serve orphans!