The Giving Tree

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, Rom 8:15, 16 & 17 NASB

A spark became a flame. It was late November-the holidays were in full swing. I was finally able to make the move to our new church. During the announcements an invitation was given for families to take a name from the giving tree erected in the lobby. These are a familiar site in many churches, so my initial response was one of passive assent. But, something caught my attention. This tree was not for the organization usually receiving the gifts. My spirit ignited. These gifts would go to children in the foster care system.

At the end of the service my husband and I walked through the lobby. I said, “I think we should take a name from the tree.” With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes he teased, “Why don’t you find a little girl just like you?” I took the challenge and sure enough I found a little girl seven years of age. She loved reading, drawing, painting, plus various arts and crafts.

How was this little girl just like me? From the time I was fifteen months old I had bounced from one home to another. Another state, another time, but still a child without a home or family of my own.

These children are not the traditional orphans who have lost both parents, but instead have been abandoned to be raised by a system. Most will not know the love of their parents and few will experience adoption once past the age of five. Even so they do not have to have the heart of an orphan. And neither do you!

You do not have to be a child in the foster care system to be an orphan. There are many who have a void in their heart. But there is Someone who can give your heart a home. It is our Heavenly Father. I am privileged to have been adopted twice. By God’s grace, I was given a great gift through my adoptive parents at the age of seven. My first adoption came much earlier when I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. I can tell you with confidence that once you receive and experience the love of God, with full acceptance, you will no longer be an orphan even if you do not have a home of your own.