Christian Alliance for Orphans

One Final CAFO Takeaway

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I was able to attend the final session of the CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans) 2024 conference for which I was a volunteer. It was an incredible experience hearing from MaryBeth Chapman about the journey of adoption through grief and healing and beyond. Then I heard an amazing sermon that I’m still processing. I don’t remember the name of the preacher, but the message hit home.

Basically, Caesar issued a dirty decree that made all the inhabitants of the Roman world go back to their ancestral hometown to be registered (so that he could later raise their taxes significantly). It was a hardship for many, especially Joseph and Mary, who was with child at the time.

But God used that dirty decree to accomplish His own divine decree, born before the foundation of the world and prophesied 700 years before Caesar made his decree. Caesar was the instrument God used to accomplish the purpose of bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would arise from that little town.

I know that in the world of adoption and fostering and raising children, there are so many trials and tribulations of adoptions falling through and tragic losses and raising children that have come out of horrific abuse situations that so many must navigate with heavy hearts. But I see more and more that God is working behind it all to accomplish something bigger than any of us can yet comprehend that would blow our mind if we could see the way God sees.

I look back and see that me being out of a job enabled me to participate in this conference as a volunteer where I would normally have not been able. I could not have foreseen this back in February, but God already knew. God’s plan means there is a purpose for my pain and a special joy for me if I will step out in faith and join Him in the journey He has for me.

God is not surprised by my setbacks or my (occasional) stupidity. He’s factored those into His plan. In fact, Romans 8:28-30 says, “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan. God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers. He called to Himself also those He chose. Those He called, He made right with Himself. Then He shared His shining-greatness with those He made right with Himself” (Romans 8:28-30, NLV).

Ultimately, the goal is to be like Jesus and to know that He is coming back. We will see the grand purpose in God’s plan, knowing that behind every dirty decree is a divine decree of God directing us toward His perfect will for us.

Lost!

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Today, my friend and I hiked through Radnor Lake State Park. I love that place, primarily because I feel like it’s a place where you can still be in Nashville but feel like you’re stepping into another world. To me, it feels a lot like Middle Earth and I always feel like a hobbit out on a quest whenever I go there.

This time, I flashed back to a less pleasant memory. I went back to when I was a Boy Scout at my first Boy Scout Camp in Arkansas. I vividly recall that I went walking by myself and got incredibly turned around and lost.

Yes, I was that Boy Scout who got lost at Boy Scout camp.

I remember being absolutely terrified and panicky. At that moment, I felt sure I wasn’t ever going to find my troop or anyone else I knew ever again. It was not a good moment.

Then there have been times when I got lost in a very good way.

I can remember times when I got so caught up in serving, particularly at Set Free Church, Christian Alliance for Orphans, or Nashville Rescue Mission, that for a precious few moments I forgot about me and all my issues. I got so completely lost in what I was doing that I had no time to overthink and overanalyze what was going on in my life.

C. S. Lewis once said that the perfect worship service would be the one you were completely unaware of. You wouldn’t be able to recall what the songs you sung were or what the sermon was about. You would only know that God had shown up.

May we live our lives in such a way that we lose ourselves and only remember that God showed up. Maybe then one day we will find out much later that those were the times when God did His best work in and through us.

 

Summit 9 and Orphans

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I was privileged to participate as a volunteer in the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit 9 conference yesterday and today at Brentwood Baptist Church. I knew for certain that God was calling me to be a part, however small, in the work he was getting ready to do.

I was so blessed. Even though most of the time I was sweaty and smelled like stale coffee, I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything and there’s no where else I would rather have been than serving God’s people gathered together over raising awareness over the global orphan crisis. Even if I could have gotten paid elsewhere, I’d have still been a volunteer.

I think I understand what King David said when he wrote in a Psalm that it’s better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than live in the biggest mansion and have the most extravagant lifestyle. That came home to me today as I was holding the door open and greeting the conference attendees coming in for the morning session.

I truly believe that God’s heart is for orphans and widows, the forgotten and downtrodden, the lonely and the outcast. I think James 1:27 is proof of that. Or Isaiah 58. Or Psalm 68:5-6.

I read a staggering fact. If only 7% of the world’s 2 billion Christians adopted one child each, there would be no more orphan crisis. Only 7%.

You may not be able to save all 147 million orphans, but you can help one. You can sponsor an orphan. You can adopt. Or you can be a foster parent. You can pray and help raise awareness of the issues orphans around the world face.

Go to http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/ to find out more how to support and pray for the organization behind this conference.

As usual, I ended up receiving so much more than I gave and being blessed way beyond what I expected. I truly believe God’s anointing was all over the conference and that the trajectory of many lives has radically changed forever in a Kingdom way.

When you think about it, we were all homeless orphans before God sent Jesus for us. Now we have a family of believers, a Father and a Dwelling Place in God, and the new title of beloved children of God.

That’s something to think about.