This verse has been in the forefront of my mind for weeks now as we have been battling ongoing challenges with our little ones. James 1:27 states, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
I never quite knew what it meant to look after an orphan in their distress until now. It is more than difficult and the feeling of powerlessness is overwhelming. Children from hard places come from a past that looks more like a nightmare than real life. To battle through the terrors of the past is an uphill battle and may demonstrate feelings of rage, anxiety, sadness, and complete disappointment.
It requires an ability to look at a child with empathetic eyes in the worst of times, giving grace countless times, and maintaining connection despite a constant sense of disconnect. I have cried buckets of tears as I have prayed for my children numerous times thanking God that with Him there is hope amongst all the terror in my children's hearts.
When I feel like I am running out of grace to give, I think of our Savior and the example He sets for us. I am immediately brought to my knees asking for forgiveness and strength to carry on. My children need grace and I am called to be that source of unconditional love for them. I have messed up numerous times throughout this journey and I am brought to tears knowing that God has given me grace through it all. I am humbled knowing that I could not go through this journey without my loving Savior. He is my strength, hope, and source of peace in the midst of the constant chaos.
What an amazing God we serve.
Please take a moment today to pray for all of the orphans and widows in distress in our world.
I never quite knew what it meant to look after an orphan in their distress until now. It is more than difficult and the feeling of powerlessness is overwhelming. Children from hard places come from a past that looks more like a nightmare than real life. To battle through the terrors of the past is an uphill battle and may demonstrate feelings of rage, anxiety, sadness, and complete disappointment.
It requires an ability to look at a child with empathetic eyes in the worst of times, giving grace countless times, and maintaining connection despite a constant sense of disconnect. I have cried buckets of tears as I have prayed for my children numerous times thanking God that with Him there is hope amongst all the terror in my children's hearts.
When I feel like I am running out of grace to give, I think of our Savior and the example He sets for us. I am immediately brought to my knees asking for forgiveness and strength to carry on. My children need grace and I am called to be that source of unconditional love for them. I have messed up numerous times throughout this journey and I am brought to tears knowing that God has given me grace through it all. I am humbled knowing that I could not go through this journey without my loving Savior. He is my strength, hope, and source of peace in the midst of the constant chaos.
What an amazing God we serve.
Please take a moment today to pray for all of the orphans and widows in distress in our world.
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