The Power of 'YES'

I don't want to help anyone else.

No, that's not true. It's just that I couldn't possibly. I can't.

How could I? I'm a working wife and mother. I cook and clean, do laundry and try to squeeze in time for my husband. There's homework to check, kids to drop off and pick up from lessons, school, and church. Then there's lead small group, plan lessons and worship team... And that's just the stuff for everyone else. What about me? I want to have time to exercise, read in silence, learn something new, take a long steamy shower without running out of hot water or someone banging on the door, and I'd like to sleep and get up rested, too. I have a long list that never gets fully crossed off, I can't add to it.

You can see why I can't possibly say yes to one. more. thing. I can't do one more thing. That's the problem with trying to do everything myself, relying only on the short supply of Kathy-power. And living like that, it's true that I can't help anyone. I can't even help myself. We have learned the lesson of boundaries so well that the first thing we think is, 'No. I have to look out for me. I don't have time for that. I can't do it. I won't do it.' You've got to look out for number one, after all. Just say no.

But every time I say YES to God, it changes me. Saying YES, instead of adding one more thing to the hastily scrawled to-do list, actually empowers me. YES revitalizes me, YES puts me in a place that allows God to come.

And it's when God comes that I have power, when I am the hands and feet of Jesus, when I have something to give. If "out of the overflow of (our) heart (our) mouth speaks" [Luke 6.45] and "The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." [Romans 15.13], how much will I overflow with my YES.

God is not a cheat. He's not a thief come to steal my free time, my money, my time or my will. He's a loving God who wants to fill me up to overflowing, bringing abundant life, life so full I overflow onto the people around me, to neighbors here or around the globe.

It starts by saying YES.

God, help me say YES.

To You.