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“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
Soon after I graduated college and got married, I faced a bit of a “spiritual crisis”. Jeff and I both grew up in the church. Y’all, we were there every single time the doors were open. We were involved in all the things, served on all the mission trips and freedoms and youth camps. And, like so many people, when we went to college (together) we sort of fell off of the church wagon.
Sure, I did a few bible studies in my dorm here and there. We attended a few church events, and oh - don’t forget - Jeff’s fraternity was one of the “more christian ones” on campus. It was never an intentional falling away, of course, but we did, in fact, fall away. A few months into our marriage we were looking at each other, thinking “do we really believe this?”
That’s when God began to work in both of our hearts as well as in the middle of our marriage. I remember feeling incredibly lonely, even while being a newlywed, and heading to our local barnes and noble to buy the book “The Power of the Praying Wife”. I thought that it was marriage that was the problem - it was Jeff that was the problem. Of course, I couldn’t be the problem.
When I got to the bookstore, they didn’t have that book - but they did have “The Power of the Praying Woman.” Y’all, praying these scripture over myself breathed NEW LIFE into my dry and stale soul. I cannot quite comprehend all the things that God did in my heart (and our marriage) during this time, but I do know this - He pried my greedy little hands off of my life and showed me what it looked like to be open to His leading.
This was when this verse first started to become meaningful to me.
See, Isaiah is proclaiming a message that is less than desirable to the audience that he is speaking to. He is talking about judgment and sin and repentance and God’s wrath - and I mean, I don’t know about you but I definitely don’t want to be talking about that and especially to an audience that is DOING all the wrong things!! But instead of running away, Isaiah steps up and says “Here I am, send me.”
Jeff and I decided early on in our relationship to also have a send me attitude. To be open to whatever the Lord has for us - supporting each other in our callings, whatever that might look like. Now, looking back, if I had known where He was going to take us maybe I wouldn’t have said yes, but God has been so incredibly gracious to us, protecting us and providing for us.
So when we first felt the tug on our heart to run for this office in 2012, I was standing in my kitchen crying out to the Lord. I was giving Him all the reasons why NOT - why we couldn’t (or shouldn’t) go. But the great thing about scripture is that it comes to you when you need it the most. And right there, in the middle of my ugly yellow kitchen, I was reminded again of this verse : Here I am, send me.
I felt the Lord stirring me, “Becky, who do you want me to send?” Sure it would be easier to send someone else - sure, it would be more comfortable and I’d be happier if God sent someone else - if I said no. But I’d also sure as heck miss out on the incredible gift of experiencing His awesome faithfulness first hand.
It was at this time that I decided, heck yes - I want this tattooed on my body.
Hello, my name is Becky. I am thirty-six years old and I just got my first tattoo, I love it and it means the world to me. Did it hurt? Yes. Can you handle it? For sure, girl! What I love about it most, is the meaning behind it. The prayers, sweat and tears behind the words “send me” that are not just tattooed on my foot, but on my heart. I am so thankful I got brave enough to say YES to God, to the pain + discomfort, and to say YES to the tattoo.
Do you have a tattoo? Does it have a story?! I’d love to hear about it!!