HERE I AM, SEND ME.

The Thursday before last we got to INHFA for the bible study early so we went to visit the nursery. In the room past the infant nursery is where they keep all the special needs children. When we walked into the room most of the kids were taking a nap except two of them. One was a 16-year-old boy that couldn’t have been more than three feet tall with his limbs straight. He couldn’t talk or walk or even keep his eyes open for long. He just lay on the couch breathing heavily and barely moving. Next to the couch was a baby car seat and a three year old boy was lying there spazzing out. One of the women who worked there told me that he was epileptic. Then she went and got his brother from napping and told us he was paralyzed on the right side of his body. Then she brought out two more boys that were brothers and they were both autistic. And she went back again to get a boy and he was mute. And then she took me to the back room and introduced me to a boy that had spinal problems and had to lie in a waterbed all day, anything else would irritate his back and he would cry. He even cried when he was held.

In this place that was full of so much despair the Lord reminded me that I have something to give. I have hope, I have joy, and I have peace. Then one of the autistic brothers started to act out and cry, so I picked him up. I started praying peace over him and asking the Lord what to do and how to calm him down. Then the Lord reminded me of a time last summer when it was 115 degrees and I felt so alone and depressed. A cool breeze came in from the window and I heard the Lord tell me he loved me. Now every time I feel the wind I know that the Lord loves me. So I began to gently blow on his neck and tell him the God of this universe loves him. Low and behold, he stopped crying and calmed down.

This is what we are called to do. To love, and be loved, and to invite the presence of the Lord every place we go. If his love can conquer death, there’s no limit on what he can do for that little boy.