Little Orphan Giraffe

I sat down with Paisley this afternoon to play with her.  Like normal, she enjoyed telling me what to do and instructed me on how to play and what to play as she gave me her play by play.  Each little stuffed animal was on a sofa pillow and she explained how she was taking care of them and putting them to bed.  She decided to introduce me to each of her stuffed little friends.  As she did, she came across a little giraffe where she proceeded to say, "I am taking care of her, because her mother died."

Now if you know Paisley, she often plays this way.  One of her playmates is often missing a parent or loses a parent through death.  I often wonder to myself if she is another Walt Disney who seemed to have a thing about killing off parents and leaving children with out a loving home as many of the company's movies are associated with a parental loss of some kind, especially that of mothers.  Many times when Paisley plays this way, I try to tell her to play more positively or ask her why she feels that a death or loss must occur; and I wonder why my daughter plays that way and I steer the play in a different more positive direction even though I slightly hound her for playing the way she was originally.

Today, however, was different for me.  I came to a realization that I never had before.  May be part of it was the conversation that T. and I had at church today.  Regardless, I came to the new realization as I watched Paisley play; and it brought tears to my eyes.  As I watched Paisley tuck the little orphaned giraffe into "bed" I realized that most times when Paisley plays that way, she is taking care of the orphaned child, or another character (stuffed animal or Barbie or even Polly Pockets) is either taking care of, or loving, the orphan. 

The fact is simply this: orphans exist.  Whether through death or in some version of abandonment, they exist.  They need people to want to take care of them.  And yes while I have tried to refocus Paisley's play sometimes to focus on more positive things in play, may be I shouldn't anymore primarily due to two reasons: 1) Life isn't hunky dory.  It's not always filled with positive things.  Sometimes there are sad things and there are needs to be met.  There are orphans in this world with out a family to love them; and to deny it, is simply ignorant. 2) Joy can come from and for an orphan through a placement in a forever home or people to love them in various ways, which is a positive.

When I see C.'s two newly adopted sons, who recently joined her family of five, and when I hear them calling her "Mom" and "Mommy" everyday that I see them together, my heart flutters and tears come to my eyes.  C and her husband are not the only ones who have brought precious orphans into their lives.  Between my church and some other associations, I have been blessed and moved in regards to orphan care.  My church has been touched in so many ways by orphans, adoption and fostering with in the last few years.  It has opened my eyes to a growing need in this world.

Scot and I have been doing a lot of praying and soul searching as to how, when and what our part shall be in regards to orphan care.  I believe that God has placed us in this church for a reason and has surrounded us with the people He has surrounded us with for a reason too.  As God has confirmed other things for us in recent weeks, I am left soul searching in other regards too and feeling somewhat confused now.  I am praying.  We need prayers.  I am not sure where the road will take us but God knows. 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.    James 1:27