Orphan Sunday is a time to rally together to care for the lonely, particularly those who are lonely because of circumstances beyond their control. Vulnerable children need the love of a family, not just because of loneliness, but because not having physical touch, human conversations, encouragement and eye contact with someone vested in your well-being can cause lifelong problems.

According to "The Connected Child" by Dr. Karyn Purvis, each time a child is held, rocked, fed and spoken to, brain growth and stimulation occurs. When orphans are deprived of a loving caregiver, a growing child cannot learn to bond with others or even process sights, sounds and sensations. 

This is why the United States transitioned from orphanages to a foster care system. Children need love. It's essential to their growth, development and success later in life as adults.

On Orphan Sunday, churches dedicate a time of worship to pray for God's call to care for the least of these. Children placed in the foster care system didn't choose to be there. Waiting children in Texas and orphans around the globe didn't choose to be without a family. It isn't easy to answer the call to become a foster family or to adopt a child, but isn't something outside a personal comfort zone worth it to change the life for a vulnerable child? 

There are many ways to serve and impact the orphan crisis in Texas and countries around the globe:

• Become a foster family
• Adopt a waiting child
• Provide respite care to those families who foster or have adopted.
• Step up to give kinship care
• Demonstrate compassion with therapeutic care

How will you answer the call to care for vulnerable children?