Here am I...send me

I served in preschool worship this morning, and had so much fun. We talked about Esther and being brave. The special phrase for the day was God is with us so be brave. We talked about being brave, and one of the little girls Gracie said, "I'm brave, but I'm still scared of dinosaurs" We sang a song called "Walk with Jesus" and Autumn asked if we could all hold hands and walk with Jesus together, so we did. I jumped and twisted, clapped and waved my hands so much. Then I went downstairs and sang and played with the 1 and 2 year olds. Ember, a 17 month old (and Autumn's sister) crawled up on a volunteers lap and laid her head down to take a nap. The only thing was, this volunteer had two crying boys on either leg trying to comfort them...after a few minutes Ember opened her eyes, looked pointedly at both of them can climbed down, as if to say, "this is to loud for me!"
Second service the 1 one year old that was there was napping so I was able to go sit in big church for the end of the service. I missed Ben's talk but you can hear it here, which is what I did this afternoon.

They showed this amazing short film. The film was a woman documenting the brokenness in the world, poverty, homelessness, disease, captivity, the list goes on and on. Then she did this speaking/rapping/singing thing as it showed her piecing the film/photos together. She talked through the beginning of the world, through the fall, through her seeing the damage in the world, and her wondering aloud where this restoration was that was promised by God. She said that she knew that God send Christ for her, but that she didn't see things getting better. The climax of the film was a compilation of people all over the world, in all languages saying, "Here am I, send me"

It was so powerful, and I wish I could share it with you. But it was yanking tears from my eyes and deepening the longing of my broken heart to serve the lost, forgotten, marginalized. To feed the hungry and clothe the naked, to love the unloved and give hope to those without hope. I've been trying to see my entire life as a mission field, not just the international places, not even just the poor places in the Cincinnati area. It's been affecting the way I talk and act, the way I drive and even the way I tip in restaurants. It's inconvenient and so deliciously difficult some days, but there are days like today that wring me out and exhaust me, but are so beautiful and achingly lovely in the hope I find in what God is doing and how he is moving. It's like there was a buzz in the air about the conviction whispered to the hearts of people at my church this morning, that I could feel before even hearing the message myself. It was awesome.
So here am I, send me.

On the other side of the world
She stands on the ocean shore
Gazing at the heavens she wonders
Is there something more
Never been told the name of Jesus
She turns and walks away
What a shame

Just across the street in your hometown
Leaving from his nine to five
Gazing down the road he wonders
Is this all there is to life
Never been told the name of Jesus
He continues on his way
What a shame

Whom shall I send
Who will go for me
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for the King
Here am I send me
Here am I send me

Whether foreign land or neighbors
Everyone's the same
Searching for the answers
That lie within your name
I want to proclaim the love of Jesus
In all I do and say
Unashamed

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news
Proclaiming peace and your salvation