My take on the the latest news...

...regarding the seven year old boy returned to Russia.

Oh, how my heart grieves for that boy and for his adoptive family. The tragic and appalling response his mother had to his behavior is awful but I wonder what the root of the problem really is. Here is my take on why this all happened. I don't have any where near all the information but statistically the problem could have started a long time ago.

First, this child was abandoned by his biological parents. No doubt this tragedy was a result of poverty and alcoholism, as is the case with so many of the children in Russia. Maybe alcohol had an effect on the formation of that little boy's brain and therefore he already had violent tendencies from birth.

Secondly, this child is placed in an institutional setting to grow up. Even if it was one of the best orphanages in Russia, no child wants to grow up in a daycare setting 24/7 with children between the ages of 1-16. Who knows what kind of abuse and/or neglect occured in the orphanage that contributed to this boy's psychological problems.

Thirdly, Russia has over 700,000 orphans and has been known to lie about a child's healthcare status or mental status.

Fourthly, our system of preparing parents for caring for a post-institutionalized child is poor. There is also a lot of money out there to be had for passing home studies and pushing adoptions through for unprepared parents.

So, you put all that together and you get a mom that is so totally overwhelmed, with poor social supports in place from adoption agencies or otherwise, with a child who needs big time help to overcome his beginnings.

I am not saying her actions were justified at all. I'm just saying that there are layers of problems that need to be addressed. Is the answer to halt adoptions? NO!!!! Is the answer to not promote adoption? NO!!!

The answer is Jesus! The answer is to live like Him and love like Him. We live in a fallen world and as believers we have a big job! Pray for those orphans and pray for the poor. Find ways to serve them financially. Go serve the poor, the widow and the orphan. ADOPT, but prepare yourself. Be educated and prepared!

I pray right now that the boy that has now been abandoned and rejected twice in his life would come to know the unconditional love of Jesus as his Father. Please pray for him too!

"Religion that God the Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and not be polluted by the world." James 1:27