Orphans

One of the sad things about living on the outskirts of the city is the constant parade of helpless animals left by owners who, for reasons we cannot know, wish to abdicate their responsibilities to total strangers.


These little jewels appeared in our back yard a few days ago. Hungry and thirsty. Deserted. With occasional coyotes howling and hawks circling, we had to offer them refuge within our fenced back yard. Sadly, the puppy did not survive a severe case of Parvo. The cold evenings mean the mom is sleeping in the inside quarters for our two Shih Tzu’s. She rests quietly inside, willing to accept the care of her providers.

Last year a Bassett Hound was left on the blacktop road that adjoins our short all-weather road. Several of the residents, including my husband and myself, tried to rescue this squatty little body, but she would have nothing to do with us. Plastic bowls holding food and water accumulated in the bar ditches. One night there were four or five cars parked alongside the road as we used flashlights and an officer’s high beam light to try to locate her. A few of us had decided to adopt her. Guess it would have been first come, first serve had the search and rescue been successful.


But, one afternoon, my husband spotted our little neighborhood project trotting confidently down the road – two or three miles from her hiding place. He said she was running with resolve like she had remembered where her home was, and she was on a mission to return there on her own. Sadly, we’ll never know if she reached her destination. Unlike the terrier, she preferred to run from those who wanted to take her in.


Isn’t it reassuring that, in God’s economy, there are no orphans? We are all His children. We can run to His open arms at any time through the grace of His Son, Jesus Christ. We need to be an extension of that love to those around us who may not be aware of a Heavenly Father Who is theirs for the asking:

“A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

God makes a home for the lonely;

He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,

Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land”

(Psalm 68:5-6, NASB.)

We can choose to be orphans, like the deserted little pet who chose to wait for the one who abandoned her rather than accept the love and provision from ones who desired to be providers.
Or we can choose the sanctuary of the Heavenly Father Who promises:

“I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU”

(HEBREWS 13:5B, NASB.)

Enjoy Avalon’s “Orphans of God”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkN-4NYQj0