2012, the year of YES!!!!!

Life cannot be very fulfilling when focus on saying NO to every moment, every thought, every emotion that passes by. God has created this life for us to embrace and embrace it we must. Of course, there are always things we need to be wary of but there is also much to say Yes, to wrap our arms around and hold to tightly as we traverse the rocky path of life. Thus, while I am working hard at saying “no” to specific things I am also shouting YES to others. Making these overtly part of my life makes the no’s easier; the power of the negative is overridden with these powerful, joyful, and hope-filled positives.

I am saying Yes to Trust. Just as I am saying no to doubt, I must overtly practice its opposite, Trust. Practicing this means wholeheartedly accepting that I have an intrinsic value simply because I am a child of God. It means resting in the reality that I have people around me who care deeply about my physical, spiritual, and emotional well being. They pray for me, that seek me out, that rely on me when necessary and they make themselves available for me to rely on. I trust their words and actions and will do everything possible to never doubt what I see in those outward expressions.

I am saying Yes to Love. God did not send His son into this world to condemn the world but to redeem that world. That act of redemption is not one of law but of Gospel…and act of love in its utter completeness. Who am I to live contrary to that love? I want to live a life reflective of that love in every way possible.

I am saying Yes to Forgiveness. When I live a life reflective of Love it means I live in forgiveness; not just my own forgiveness but in forgiveness toward others. It’s a challenge; we all know that but what could be better than loving and accepting others for their flaws, their misconceptions, their own sinful natures; forgiving others even before they ask, and not carrying that burden of anger and hurt. I have a wonderful friend who is an excellent example of this to me. Whenever I screw up asking forgiveness is so simple. My friend’s response is always a loving and consistent “you already are.” I am assured forgiveness was granted immediately by my friend and by my God. This has had great effect on me and my own desire to be a more forgiving person and recognize others needs for love and forgiveness on a daily basis

I am saying Yes to Courage. They say “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Fear is debilitating to me and thus, working to become the strong and courageous woman I know I can be is important. In essence, I am more important. Allowing myself to be consumed by fear weakens me and shifts my focus from reliance on God to reliance on myself which, let’s face it, is going to get me nowhere. Thus, I will place my trust is my God. I will trust the mind and the self He has created in me and be a bold and courageous woman, living both outwardly and inwardly for Him.

The last two Yeses are reflective of the whole. In essence I am going to work very hard this year to say Yes to God and to Me. In some respects that sounds selfish but when we focus on improving the self which God has created in us, the outward manifestations of that are simple reflections of God working in us. We can more easily love the world around us and act with grace and forgiveness toward the people in our lives when we know, understand, and have taken time to become whole and stable individuals. When I was young I was taught this little acronym – JOY (J-Jesus, O-Others, Y-You). As an adult I have discovered this doesn’t always work. When I consistently put myself last I soon run out of both the energy and the inclination to serve others first. I become unfit to serve anyone, including God. Think about it, even Jesus went off alone to pray at times, he secluded himself in the Garden of Gethsemane to do the same. He tended to his own self and knew he needed to connect with himself, both his human nature and his spiritual nature in order to do the task set down for him by his father. In order to love humanity, he needed his strength and the hand of his father on him. If we are to do the same, how much more do we need to take time to connect with our God and to know ourselves?

May your list of yeses be longer than your no’s and may the changes you wish for yourself and your life this next year be reflective of a person you know you can be. May prayer, discipline, and faith lead your every step as we all work to be clearer and more well-defined reflections of Christ in us.

Blessings…always.