Orphaned
Several weeks ago, while evangelizing, we met Maggie.
Feeling a dark depressive state, we approached a typical African home during evangelism.
Janet, the Grandmother, and Maggie, the Mother, were sitting outside. They were accompanied by two young children. Maggie was once married. After giving birth, she was hit with post pardon depression, mixed with psychological episodes. After Jr was born, her husband could no longer “handle” the state pregnancy caused her. With her hands tied, Maggie, 2-year-old Elizabeth, and 3 month old Jr. were dropped off at her mothers.
With tears running down her face, Janet expressed the number of times she tried to get a hold of the absent father. Countless times she failed. With nowhere else to go, she is considering orphanage care, to provide the needs she cannot.
I have heard about orphans and have seen organizations fundraise for orphans across the world. But seeing it first hand is a whole different story.
Walking away from this family, my first thought was, “what can I do?”
I could go buy diapers, food, clothes and formula but then I realized the things I could do would only last temporarily.
And the more I got to thinking about it, I realized something. Yes, Elizabeth and Jr may not have the THINGS they need, but how many of us HAVE what we need and still have an orphaned mindset; those who fail to understand the love Jesus has for us.
Intimacy with the Father doesn’t seem to be enough.
We are constantly wishing we had more.
We pursue these things, thinking they will fill us when we are ultimately rejecting the Father.
A new car.
A new pair of shoes.
A new house.
A higher paying job.
The latest technology.
These things can temporarily fill our anger, darkness, brokenness, and emptiness. But there is only one thing that can fill the orphaned mind eternally and it is the Father.
“I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you”. ~ John 14:18
So many of us are bound by an orphan mindset, simply because we overlook what Christ can do in our lives. If only we recognize him as our Father, would the world contain less orphans.
Ephesians 1:4 says ” For He chose us in Him…he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ in accordance with His will…
We don’t have to live as orphans any longer, it is time that we stop seeking worldly things and start seeking intimacy with our Father who calls us his own.
