The poor and brokenhearted

I got the following excerpt from a blog I found:

"Many families in Haiti are economically not able to care for their children. Sometimes the parents simply let the children abandoned on the street and never come back. These babies usually end in an orphanage (if they are not refused because in Haiti all orphanages are generally overfull). Although children living in an orphanage may be lucky for having at least having a bed, most of them suffer from hunger and have to share clothes with the other orphans."

Oh my goodness. I can't stop thinking about all those orphans in Haiti. Since the earthquake hit nine days ago Jonny and I can't stop talking and researching stuff about adoption. We have been so moved with sadness and compassion for all those precious babies who were without homes/families before the quake hit and now with the orphan numbers reaching in the tens of thousands, its just completely heart breaking.

I couldn't sleep last night thinking about how so many of us are sitting so nice, safe and comfortable and the thought of helping these helpless, innocent children doesn't even cross our minds. Ahh! For the last week my mind has been going back and forth about buying this really cute necklace I found... not that that would be bad... but as I tossed and turned in bed last night, my perspective just took a change in direction. I'm only talking about a $10 necklace here, but my point is this- how many necklaces do I have? How much stuff do we have? These kids have nothing. Not even a family. And they are even losing their health. Family, a home, our health... we are so wealthy! As Christians, it seems like more of us should be reaching out to these children. Didn't Jesus teach about reaching out to the poor and the needy? Adoption may not be what the Lord has for everyone, but maybe more of us should be prayerfully considering it. I know my heart strings are being tugged in that direction. Then there's the concern of the expense, but HOLY COW- what's wrong with our way of thinking? Why do we, in our culture, seem to be more concerned about our pocket books than saving a child's innocent life!? That is so backwards. How is that right? How does that way of thinking line up at all with what Jesus taught about? I remember someone once telling me, 'A rich man says having children will make you poor, but the poor man says having children make you rich.' Obviously adoption is a big, big decision and not enough families are able to do it. Although adoption would be the huge, long-term help to these orphans, they need some immediate help. Our prayers are the most powerful tool we have, so lets remember to pray, pray, pray for these children and that somehow their lives would be saved to not only live a life on earth, but for all eternity.