A Child's Admiration

By Samantha Rodriguez

“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!’”—Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

In the past two days, we’ve talked about what God’s call to mission may look like and what God’s overall purpose for missions is. But before we talk about how we should respond to the mission, let me paint a picture for you. 

A young boy of about eight years old watches his dad with awe and admiration build a custom-made table in their garage. His father loves his work, but he loves the boy even more. He catches a glimpse of his son watching in amazement with eyes wide and full of wonder. He puts down his tools, looks up curiously, and asks himself aloud, “I would love some help on this project, but I wonder who would want to help me? Who would want to do this even though it’s not always easy or fun?” The boy almost immediately jumps in front of his father and boldly responds, “I do! I can! I will!” From that moment forward, the father begins to instruct the boy on what steps to take and gives him more opportunities to take the lead. 

Although the father did not need any help, and certainly not any help from a child, he loved his son so much that he invited him to take part in his work. He did it to teach his son because the process will require humility, submission, and patience. Yet he also did it to spend time with his son because the process will also result in a greater bond, trust, and devotion. 

And the same is true for us!

In today’s passage, God allows Isaiah to witness His glorious throne room. Similar to the wonder of a child, yet perhaps more intense, Isaiah stands in awe of the Lord and cries out saying “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV). 

With this repentant heart, the Lord atones for his sin by commanding a seraphim to cleanse his mouth with a live coal. He does not leave Isaiah in his state of despair and hopelessness; rather, He redeems him. We see right after, though, that God also does not leave Isaiah distant or purposeless; rather, He graciously extends him the opportunity to take part in His plans for the same reasons the father gave his son the opportunity to work with him—to grow his character and to grow their relationship.

Regardless of the uncertainty or difficulty of the task, the awe, reverence, and love we have for our Lord should outweigh those factors and bring us to accept our mission with the same child-like, courageous faith!