Here I am

"Here I Am" is a song by a Christian group Downhere. I first heard this song maybe in November/December/Januray when I was deciding to leave my job and life that I knew to move and serve in Africa. I absolutely love this song and find myself playing it a lot, I love the words, love the music and feek like it portrays my life. It is based on the scripture Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Here I Am-Downhere
From the album Ending Is Beginning
Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes in comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Chorus:
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Chorus

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces,
I can't put this together but You can

Chorus

Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

We all have a story and one of my favorite things is hearing other people’s stories. I love to people watch and as I’m watching people, rather it be at the airport, Target, the mall, restaurants, wherever, I always wonder, “What is their story?” where are they going, what are they buying, or who are they eating with. God has written my story and I love that and I have no idea what is next in my story of life. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse has brought so much comfort in my life. I so often want to know the plan. I’m a planner, especially with big things. I like to know when I’m taking days off, what vacations I have for the year. I want to know the future, on my timing and I continually have to remind myself that I’m not in control… God is.

A lot of those times had to do with my job, where I was at in life, wanting one thing or wanting to go somewhere new and God saying, “Not yet.” Well he finally has said yes and that involves me going to Africa. I have already been to Cape Town, which I loved and now I’m getting ready to go to Benin. To think that 4 months ago I left a place that I knew and was comfortable in, and now I have moved half way across the world, have come back and about to do it all over again, just for longer this time. So I'm entering another “chapter” in my story of life and it’s fun to look at life that way… each new adventure or season in life is just another chapter to your story. There are parts of stories that are scary, sad, confusing, exciting, funny and that is what my life is…. so Here I am Lord, I Trust You and i'm ready for the next chapter!