What Is A Home?
"A man may pay rent all his life and own his own home; yet a family may successfully save for a home only to find itself with nothing but a house. It takes love to make a home." — Childhaven News, April issue.
I think they all know that a home is more than a place to stay indoors out of the rain, cold or heat. Homes, like trees, are made by the Lord, according to Matthew 19. The church may provide a home in the sense of a place to stay under a shelter, with all physical needs provided. But unless there are hearts into which these destitute children may enter and find a father's and mother's love, there is no home "restored". You just have a substitute.
But when one takes a child into his home and heart, that home is going to be changed in many ways pleasant and in many unpleasant. Sacrifices must be made. Vexing problems of childhood and adolescence must be wrestled with. Extra expenses will cause families like mine to cut their wants "to the bone" in order to "make ends meet". Oh, it's much easier to get the saints "with the bishops and deacons," to agree to all pool your quarters, or dollars, and send $25.00 to Childhaven. And it's very much cheaper, too! And besides that, you can deduct that 10 or 100 dollars from your income tax next year! But if you take the child into your home and buy all his clothing, food school needs, etc., you will have spent more each month than the whole church will usually spend by sending to Childhaven, or one of the others.