Who Will Grieve?

361 days ago, Luke went home to be with Jesus.

Yesterday, 'David' joined him.

A recent member of the foster home once occupied by my China boys, David arrived just skin and bones.  

It was recently discovered that he had a heart condition.  Then he contracted pneumonia.  The under-staffed hospitals (due to Christmas!), apparently weren't willing to see many patients...particularly orphans.

And so, yet another child dies without knowing the love, comfort, and support of a mother, father, a brother or sister.  Without birthday parties in their honor, without ornaments hung on a tree that bear their name, without a brother to wrestle with, without a sister's hair to pull, without a mama bear to ferociously fight for him, without a baba to guide him through the obstacles of life.   

And who will grieve?

Luke had us to grieve him, to miss him, to fall prostrate and cry out to a God who comforts.

Who grieves for David like each child deserves to be grieved?

We rightly grieve the 20 children senselessly killed a little over a week ago.  But who grieves for the Davids?  The ones for whom we as wealthy rich Americans can change their world...yet don't.  We have sat around as a nation for the last week arguing gun control, video game violence, and a hundred other things, shaking our heads at the senselessness of it all.

Yet there is just as senseless a tragedy occurring each and every day when another child remains an orphan because we who can help refuse to act.  Instead of worrying about how David and so many like him will survive, we Americans worry about whether our 2.5 children will get into the college of their choice, have the prom dress and makeup they covet, their favorite brand name plastered across their chest.  We worry about whether our nest egg will sustain us into our  unpromised tomorrows while children who could have been saved, die.

David's death, has made me sad, yes.  

But more than that (you may not be surprised by this) it has made me angry.  Angry that those of us who can help...don't.  We worry about things that in the scheme of eternity are manure while the things that are gold in the scheme of eternity silently slip from this earth.

And no one even knows...or cares.

I haven't heard the nauseating statistics on what Americans have spent this Christmas on themselves, but I have a hunch it could have ensured David received the medical care he needed.  And a few thousand others as well.

Let me suggest this, if you are still reading, take the last 48 or so hours before Christmas and instead of buying one more gift for someone who will in all likelihood return it anyway...and donate the amount you would have spent to an orphan care organization.  

You won't even have to go to a mall, stand in line, wrap the gift, or wonder if they'll like it (they'll cherish it!).  Not to mention you will know that your gift counted, mattered, made an impact for eternity.  

Only catch is you might not get a thank you.  Now. 

But I bet you will when you see the Lord.

In Him,







ps...Here are a few of the many organizations that care for orphans and would immediately put your gift to use:

Show Hope

New Hope Foundation

Abba's Children