Do You See Them?

Do you see them?

The man in the orange jumpsuit. Marked for the rest of his life. In a relentless prison system that loves to get people stuck.

Do you see them?

The one with the cardboard sign and blankets sitting on a curb. With an empty stomach and no place to rest their weary body. No place of belonging.

Do you see them?

The girl on the corner, in the short skirt, walking down a street, waiting for a stranger, with only one thing on his mind. Waiting to please and hopefully make some cash. Threatened. Controlled. Trapped.

Do you see them?

The black boy walking to the corner store, as aware of his color as he is of the cops watching him, and the sad, but obvious correlation between the two.

Do you see them?

The one on the corner, waiting to sell the drugs in his pocket, his mind occupied by the hungry little one back home. Only trying to provide a meal.

Do you see them?

The one addicted to drugs. Raped as a child, she found a way to leave it all. Tired eyes. Dependent on a substance that cares no mind to its faithful user, yet it catches her fall. It's there for her more than anyone ever was.

Do you see them? 

They are there. All around you. Don't be fooled by the stereotypes. They are human. They have faces and names and stories. Hardened eyes that cry to be seen, to be heard, to be loved.

What will it take for us to see them?

here i am. send me.

I've recently, within myself, been met with this challenge...

I've been reading through the book of Isaiah, and came to "Isaiah's Cleansing and Call," as the subtitles say. The Lord says at one point,
          "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?"
Isaiah replies,
          "Here I am. Send me."

Here I am. Send me.

What if that was always our response to God's calling?
What if THAT was our life motto, what we lived by?

Two sentences. Five words.
Simple. Right?

Yet it's SO much more. This. is. a. heart. issue.

Surprise, surprise.

It's a submission to our God. A willingness to let Him do with our lives what He wants, NOT what we want. A desire to work towards the fulfillment of His will. It puts us in a humble state to be used as His tool. This means that we sacrifice our plans for the sake of His.

If you didn't already get it,
           This is alllll about Him.

I want to live with that type of submission always ready on my lips.
Always in my heart.
I want my life to be constantly saying, "Here I am. Send me."

And I want to trust that if my heart sincerely says that, and my life sincerely shows that, that wherever this journey takes me, my God will be right there with me every step of the way, and I can rest in that assurance.

So when I get apprehensive about the future...
"Here I am. Send me."

When I'm scared to confront that person that has been placed in my path...
"Here I am. Send me."

When I don't feel brave enough to pray with that person that has been laid heavy on my heart...
"Here I am. Send me."

When what I want and what God wants seems very different...
"Here I am. Send me."

And if done right, this response should rightfully be followed by action.

I want my life to constantly echo the words of Isaiah, and hope, maybe you'll take the challenge with me. To become more and more submissive and trusting of our Heavenly Father.

I think that learning to echo Isaiah's response might be a good place to start.

"Here I am. Send me."