Lifesong

I’m sure many of you know the words to Casting Crowns’ song Lifesong. Part of it goes like this:

Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You

That premise echoes the theme of the post I wrote over at Skinned Knees today.

And there is an organization that has made this their mission – Lifesong for Orphans. They want their lifesong to reflect the biblical mandate to protect and stand up for orphans and widows.

They are actively supporting orphanages all over the world. $5 will feed a child for a month. $6.20 provides a little boy with a school uniform (pants, shirt and vest), book bag and school supplies. I bet your child’s school supplies and wardrobe cost a whole lot more than that! $5.83 provides the same items for a girl. $1.84 pays for a child to attend school for an entire month.

That’s a package of gum you could trade for someone’s education. A Starbucks coffee for someone’s entire set of school supplies. A Happy Meal in exchange for feeding a child for an entire MONTH! Will you make those sacrifices? Will you head over to Lifesong and donate that money so that a child has the chance at a future?

They also run three other programs to help Christians adopt:

1. Interest Free Loans

Couples interested in adopting can obtain a loan through them which can then be paid back on a schedule that works well for that family. This is helpful considering there is a $12,150 tax credit for each child that is adopted. Often if the family can make it until their next tax return they can pay the adoption off in full. These loans help them do just that. They are also ‘self-perpetuating’ loans which means that as the families pay off their loans, that money is then in turn loaned to a new family so that they are able to adopt.

2. Matching Grants

Lifesong will offer a matching grant up to $4,000 for any money that a home church raises to support the family’s adoption. They believe this encourages churches to take an active role in the adoption process and causes a lifelong bond between church and adopted child.

3. Both Hands

I love this idea!

Lifesong wants to make sure that not only are we looking after the orphans, but we are also looking after the widows as we are requested to in Scripture. Both Hands is an innovative fundraising idea that helps both. The adoptive family finds a widow who needs help around her house and commits to do this work for her. They draft at least 10 people who will commit 1 day to work together on any and all projects as well as sending out sponsorship letters. The idea is that those 10 or 20 or 40 people will personally invest in the project. Not only are they helping the adoptive family but they are also serving a widow and fulfilling their biblical duty in that way. When they are personally committed, then they’re willing to ask their family and friends to financially support the endeavor and the adoptive family’s circle of influence and support is widened.

What have you done this week to make a difference in someone’s life?