Family Matters
By Claira White, Adoption/Foster Care Support Committee Chairperson
In the beginning, God created a family, and He called it “very good.” Family is a clear and consistent theme throughout the Bible from Adam and Eve to the multi-ethnic family worshiping in heaven. Family matters to God, therefore it must matter to us.
When I became a foster parent, I began to read the Bible differently. People asked me “don’t you get attached?” Yes. We did. And so did Abraham, and Moses’ mom as they were asked to “give up” their parenthood in surrender to God’s plan. I looked at Jesus’ mom and how she trusted God with her child, even in suffering. Most of all, I knew God the Father could sympathize with us as we invited someone else’s brokenness into our lives, feeling the weight of it. But we also get to watch Jesus heal a family. Even though it was scary and uncomfortable for us, we found a beautiful part of Jesus’ heart there.
Jesus is in the business of making all things new. When we serve broken families, we join God as He renews and restores. This is sacred, holy work.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
Many people say, “I can’t adopt or foster.” But don’t miss your part in this work. This holy work is also throwing birthday parties, encouraging a DHS worker, driving to therapy, buying school supplies. Where is your part? How can your family serve a family?
The enemy wants us to look away from hard and broken things because that’s where Jesus is. On this STAND Sunday, I challenge you to seek Jesus’ heart for this matter and choose an organization to serve with. Visit the Family Support Expo after the 10:50 a.m. service in the Commons today!
In the beginning, God created a family, and He called it “very good.” Family is a clear and consistent theme throughout the Bible from Adam and Eve to the multi-ethnic family worshiping in heaven. Family matters to God, therefore it must matter to us.
When I became a foster parent, I began to read the Bible differently. People asked me “don’t you get attached?” Yes. We did. And so did Abraham, and Moses’ mom as they were asked to “give up” their parenthood in surrender to God’s plan. I looked at Jesus’ mom and how she trusted God with her child, even in suffering. Most of all, I knew God the Father could sympathize with us as we invited someone else’s brokenness into our lives, feeling the weight of it. But we also get to watch Jesus heal a family. Even though it was scary and uncomfortable for us, we found a beautiful part of Jesus’ heart there.
Jesus is in the business of making all things new. When we serve broken families, we join God as He renews and restores. This is sacred, holy work.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
Many people say, “I can’t adopt or foster.” But don’t miss your part in this work. This holy work is also throwing birthday parties, encouraging a DHS worker, driving to therapy, buying school supplies. Where is your part? How can your family serve a family?
The enemy wants us to look away from hard and broken things because that’s where Jesus is. On this STAND Sunday, I challenge you to seek Jesus’ heart for this matter and choose an organization to serve with. Visit the Family Support Expo after the 10:50 a.m. service in the Commons today!
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