Be the answer.
From time to time I have heard the question “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” or “Why doesn’t God help those people?”. I am not a theologian and I am still working my way through the Bible, one book at a time. I have, however, put my faith in God my entire life and trusted in him to see me through the bad times- starting at age 18 when I lost my dad to cancer. Over the past 3 years I have begun to really dig into my Bible, participated in Bible studies, taken notes on the messages given during church, listen to Podcasts by Andy Stanley and Francis Chan, and had many conversations with those who have dedicated their life to serving Jesus. None of this makes me an expert and I’m still in the infancy stage of learning, what I have taken away from these experiences is the same message over and over, WE are the answer to the woes of the world. It’s up to US to help those who have been wronged, who don’t have a voice and who are helpless.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans.
1 Peter 5:2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly- not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
ALL children are part of our flock, just as the saying goes ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ we must be that village that steps up. Right now our children are under attack by the evils of the world, the opioid crisis alone has increased the number of children in foster care by 10% between 2012 and 2016, a study from the federal Department of Health and Human Services attributes this increase to the rising number of overdose deaths among parents. The kids that grow up in this environment will repeat the cycle of abuse and poverty if we don’t step in and make a difference. The Open Door House will be reversing the cycle of poverty, abuse and neglect. From my good friend Josh Kolkana, director of Villages of Hope: “Without very intentional intervention, we should expect nothing other than for the cycle to continue in the same way it always has- IT WILL NOT CORRECT ITSELF. It will be a difficult task, a long term commitment and require the financial support of the community, but it will be worth it! This is not someone else’s problem; this is all of our OPPORTUNITY to forever change the trajectory of a life and every connected life thereafter! You are litterally setting in to place a new future.”
Who’s with me? Who else wants to be part of ending the cycle of abuse, poverty and neglect and change the life of a young person forever? And ultimately change the life of their child and grandchild?!! It’s time for all of us to come together and BE THE ANSWER!!!!!!