Day 6: Being Thankful.

Today I am thankful for compassionate hearts. All over the world today, churches recognized this very day as Orphan Sunday 2011.

It saddens me that there even has to be such a thing as Orphan Sunday, but since there has to be, I am glad there is so that people will KNOW. I'm glad there are people that desire to bring awareness and recognition to this devastating crisis that is happening all over the world.

I am so very thankful for all the compassionate hearts that stand up for orphans everywhere. I am so very thankful for all the compassionate hearts that have donated towards our adoption. I am so very thankful for all the compassionate hearts that support us through this journey. I am so very thankful for everyone that has posted about Orphan Sunday on Facebook.

I won't stop until all of these precious children are home.

Also, I was telling Makayla about Orphan Sunday today. This is the conversation that we had.

Me: "Makayla, do you know what today is? It's Orphan Sunday. Do you know what an orphan is? Our baby in Ethiopia is an orphan right now. That means that he or she doesn't have a family right now..."

Makayla: "But we are her family!"

Me: "That's right, baby girl. We are her family! You are so smart. We are her family, but she's just not here yet." (Holding back the tears.)

Makayla: "But she will be coming soon!"

I adore this precious child of mine and her sweet, compassionate heart for others. At three years old, she understands more about life than most adults ever will. That astounds me. It amazes me. And it leaves me in awe. If I knew half of what she knows already, I'd be set for life. I could not be more proud of my beautiful daughter. She knows that our baby already has a family and she reminded me when I needed it most. I just adore her.

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.


He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. -Deuteronomy 10:18


Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. -Psalm 82:3


Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. -Isaiah 1:17


Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act. -Proverbs 24:12


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. -James 1:27


We love because he first loved us. -1 John 4:19


 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40