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Hello Jodi,
Recently my husband Jamie received a call with the news that his beloved grandmother had passed away, just shy of her 92nd birthday. Waves of emotions and memories flooded us. While grandmothers can be special for many reasons, one of the reasons this one was so special was because she had no biological or legal obligation to fill the role for us. She chose to.
Grandma and Grandpa came into Jamie’s life because of their daughter’s short marriage to his dad. One unintended consequence of the broken relationships in his young life was drifting apart from the grandparents who had loved him well during the marriage but then struggled with navigating divided family loyalties.
Years later, the fondness Jamie felt compelled him to invite Grandpa and Grandma to our wedding. There, I met them for the first time and heard their expressions of regret for the time lost, and a vow to renew intentionality. For the rest of their lives, they made good on that promise.
Grandma and Grandpa had adopted three of their five children from foster care and over nearly 30 years, I witnessed "pure religion" in the ways they unconditionally loved their children and grandchildren - biological, adopted, and unofficially adopted. They were even present when we stood before a Russian judge to adopt our boys and they continued making special memories with us (like squeezing fresh orange juice, in the photo above!) after we added our daughter to the family, also through adoption. When Grandpa went to heaven, Grandma continued to love us well.
From the legacy of Orphan Sunday + Stand Sunday, Pure Religion Sunday is a day to unify the Church around God’s heart for orphans and vulnerable children. It is a call for EVERY Christ follower to be available when He presents opportunities to be family – a place of belonging and love – to those in need.
On (or around) November 10, 2024, how will you use Pure Religion Sunday to deepen your church's understanding of James 1:27 as a call to action, rooted in God's family and Christian discipleship? Learn more, get free tools and register your event here.
Your partners in transforming the lives of vulnerable children,
Jodi & team
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