I want to leak grace.

I want the presence of God to be such an overwhelming reality in my life that this clay vessel simply cannot contain that reality. David said it this way in Psalm 23:

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

When people look at me, I want the grace of God to be first thing that comes to mind. I want the grace of God to be the basic fact of my existence.

But I often find myself empty. Not just not overflowing, but nowhere close to even full, much less leaking from excess.

Perhaps the problem is focus, getting so caught up in who I am as a believer that I forget that believing is but a precursor for following—and that following always takes place in context with others.

Isaiah said it like this:

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
 with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 
then your light will rise in the darkness,
 and your night will become like the noonday.

Understand this…

Caring for the orphan is not just something we are commanded to do; it is the essence of our identity.

We accept because we are accepted. We love without reference to merit because we receive unmerited love. We adopt because we are adopted. If we have been absolutely overwhelmed by God’s grace, it is going to show, and this is the point where it is going to start:  always, always, in relationship with others, and especially in caring for those the world—and their families—have cast aside.

Need a starting point?  Here’s one —with enough lead time to do something about it…

On November 2nd, many churches will focus on the plight of orphans and the Church’s response to their needs by participating in Orphan Sunday. This is a time when we can demonstrate that we know who we are, that we embrace the role of deliverer—of being the vessels of God’s love. Of leaking grace.

It all starts with one person deciding to make this day a priority.

So my question for you: Will you be the one who starts the ball rolling at your church?

You can find plenty of Orphan Sunday resources here.

Have you or your church ever observed Orphan Sunday? Leave a comment and tell us. Better yet, tell us you’re “in” for November 2!