A prayer request
“8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, ‘Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.'” – Isaiah 6:8-9
That morning as I talked to God I had no idea that he was about to show me he was listening. Later that evening, I made contact with a friend who was at part of the old Oak Harbor Church in Dunkirk. This church was located about a mile down the road from where we lived.
An answered prayer
I learned that the church was available and because it had been closed down. So, on October 1st we signed the papers to assume responsibility for the building. We immediately began working on repairs to the structure.
By January 26th, 2008, all of the physical construction was completed and we were ready to have our first service. I look back at that first challenging winter and, honestly, it was a “service-to-service” experience. But God supplied all of the needs we had to keep the church open!
Stepping out for God
So what does it mean when a person says “Send me!” to God? It’s not always to another country — after all, there’s work right here in our area to be done. Christians just need to be willing to say “Send me Lord.”
If we step out for God, and things don’t go the way we expect, sometimes God just wants us to be willing. Not everyone will be called to reopen a church or go to another country. Instead, you may be called to pray for people or simply be there to shake their hands. Perhaps God will use you to give an encouraging word to someone who needs it.
But we need to make ourselves available to be able to be called of God.
No Regrets
I have never regretted a moment in stepping out for God. We’ve often been asked how many have consistently attended our church since we opened the doors. Our answer? Two: Pam and myself. But there has never been just the two of us. God has always sent helpers, even if it’s something as simple as cleaning the church or church yard.
There are many ways we can be used — even coming to church to be an encouragement to others! Remember, let God use you for his work!
May God bless you and Have a wonderful day.