Sponsoring a child

This year my Bible study sponsored two little boys from DSS for Christmas. This is something so near and dear to my heart because these are children who don't have a family to call their own, and since Marshall would shoot me if I started bringing home children on a weekly basis, this is the next best thing in my world.

(I also have an idea for a Birthday ministry - remind me to talk about that later)

So we sponsored 2 little boys. The kids helped me shop for brothers A & E. Miss Amanda, Mac's old social worker, said to spend between $50-100 per child. So $100-200 total. Yeah, I wound up with over $250 to spend! I was so shocked at the generosity of the ladies in my group! They provided the funds, I did the shopping. I loved it - I went all out for these boys getting almost every item on their wish list plus some.

Then last week Miss Amanda called me up in a panic - several children had been sponsored through an organization and it had fallen through. Could I help?

Of course. She sent me info for a little girl, S. Again, I took the kids shopping. (I was thankful I didn't need to use any of my own money for the boys - I was able to put it toward this little girl.)

SB was very curious as to why these children's parents weren't shopping for them. I told her they didn't have a Mommy or a Daddy to love them. They were waiting to be adopted just like Mac has been before he came home to be with us. With tears in my own eyes, I told her more than anything these children want a family to call their own and we should be praying for them to find a family.

She said we should give them a great Christmas until their new parents could come for them. That's my girl.

So we got S all the things on her list. I actually made the decision to NOT grocery shop this week and instead spend our grocery money for S to have Christmas. We have plenty of food in our pantry and plenty of love in our home...S needs that too.

If nothing else, I hope we can show the love of Christ to these children this season. If only I knew what to do the rest of the year... I'll have to call Miss Amanda and ask her.

In leiu of a picture, I want to share this song by Stephen Curtis Chapman. He and his wife adopted three gorgeous little girls (one of whom is heaven-bound now). It's called "All I Really Want for Christmas is a Family."