This picture keeps coming up in my memories. It’s a picture of my husband and our eldest son having one of the best days of their lives, headed out into the Gulf of Mexico on a paddleboard.
My son had zero fear going out into the deep, unknown waters because he was with his father, and he trusts him. When his dad said, “Do you want to rent a paddleboard and go out?”
His immediate answer, without any hesitation, was, “Yes!”
I’ve been thinking a lot about people in the Bible that I admire. Do you know what they all have in common?
They all said, “Yes!” to their Father.
Noah… he said yes to building an ark when it had NEVER rained.
Abraham… he said yes to leaving all he knew and starting a new lineage, even though he had no children yet.
Moses… through feelings of inadequacy, he said yes to standing up to Pharaoh to let HIS people go.
Rahab… she risked her life and said yes to saving the Israelites, who were supposed to be her enemy.
Ruth… she said yes to leaving her heritage and following the true GOD, even though she was not obligated.
Esther… she said yes, at the risk of losing her life, to her “such a time as this” moment.
Mary… she said yes to having the Son of GOD, knowing there could be heart- wrenching consequences.
Joseph…. he said yes, even if it must have been hard to understand.
The disciples… they said yes. They left everything and followed HIM.
The list goes on and on and on.
But I have to wonder… were there others HE asked to do great (impossible, scary, lovely, risky) things, but they said, “no?”
I’m certain there were, and we never heard about them. They missed their moment.
My heroes from the Bible (and of any time period) aren’t heroes because they could have done something or were asked to do something by GOD. What set the world-changers apart are they are the ones who said, “Yes!”
When this picture came up in my memories on New Years Eve, I thought, “Kristin, will you say yes? Will you say yes to the unknown
To the hard things
To the things that seem impossible
To the frightening things
To the weird things
To the challenging things
To the little things
To the things that don’t make sense?
If the Father asks you to go with HIM into the deep waters, will you without hesitation, respond, ‘Yes?’”
And truth? I hesitated. I couldn’t answer quickly.
Because, in all reality, I kinda want the easier choice.
You know… the safe choice, where I know what’s going to happen next.
The less painful choice that seems more comfortable
The more normal choice that’s inside my “box”
The choice with more rest and that doesn’t have potential consequences
The choice that makes sense and seems possible
The easier choice
But I heard that sweet Voice in my spirit say, “Kristin, just say yes!”
So with tears in my eyes, that is my answer, and my word, for 2021.
Yes.
Yes, Lord. Whatever You ask
Whatever it looks like
Whatever You call me to
However uncomfortable it makes me
Whatever… I say YES.
I’ll get on the paddleboard and go as far as HE wants to go.
Because HE is my Father, and I can trust HIM.
Come with me, my sweet friends. Say YES with me. You can trust HIM.