Our tragedy and God's love for orphans

By Steven Curtis Chapman, Special to CNN:

Editor's note: Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria Sue, was killed in an accident in May in the driveway of the family's home. Chapman, a Grammy winner, will talk about the family's grief and faith on Larry King Live on Thursday, 9pm ET.

According to UNICEF, there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both parents.

In America alone, there are half a million children in foster care, and approximately 120,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. In many countries, children are too often orphaned or abandoned because of poverty, disabilities and disease; every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent because of AIDS. These are staggering facts that can seem overwhelming and discouraging, but I believe that God has a loving plan for each child, and that plan is you and me.

Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us.

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