Am I Saying Yes?

As I prepare for the upcoming fall bible study from the book “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God’ by Lysa TerKeurst, I have many thoughts and emotions running through my mind.

Of course I am excited, and expectant of the change and growth I am preparing to experience in my heart; but, at the same time I ask myself, “am I the right person to teach this class?” I have wondered, “Am I really prepared to say ‘yes to God’ in all aspects of my life?”

Actually, this question is not a new one for me. I have been asking the question for well over a year now. Each day I seem to find one more thing I need to lay at His feet and allow Him to take total control of.

Let’s see; first I had to lay down my health; after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Someone asked me once, shortly after I was diagnosed, if I had prayed for God to cure me. When they asked the question, I was taken quite off guard. I realized that the thought had really never even occurred to me. I had suspected that I had Parkinson’s even before the official diagnosis came, and so acceptance of the fact came almost too easily. That is not to say that I wanted to be a Parkinson’s patient; but I felt at peace with the diagnosis and prayed that God would somehow allow me to use my disease as a way to tell others of His love and that He would somehow use my situation to draw people to the redeeming love of Jesus.

Next, I had to lay down our quest to adopt, and say yes to God’s direction in that area of our lives. When I did get the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, James and I called our adoption agency and tearfully told them that we would need to cancel our licensure and petition to adopt. We believed that it would be next to impossible for us to be chosen by a young birth-mother to parent her infant child, given that she would be presented with many other families, where both adoptive parents were healthy. However, God’s timing is always perfect. Our agency asked us to wait for a little while before making any big decisions and to pray. After some discussion, and much prayer, they convinced us to keep our licensure open. It was just a few months later when the adoption agency called us to ask if we would consider foster care for Gabe, and his adoption is now going to be official, making him a “Butler boy.”

All along the past year, throughout the stress and joy of the foster-to-adopt process and adjusting to the changes within my physical body, I have had to continuously lay things at the foot of the cross. If I were to share all of the things I have given over I would be able to fill volumes. Each day I find something else in my life that I need to surrender, in my quest to die to self and become more like Jesus.

My devotion and commitment to Him have grown in so many ways. My precious Jesus has faithfully accepted my dark emotions, my ugly stains, my sinful struggles; and replaced them with hope and joy that come from His abiding love and merciful grace. Some of the things that I have surrendered I have always believed I could handle on my own, prior to being humbled by Parkinson’s disease, and the increased stress level of being a full-time Mommy again. It is so amazing and awe inspiring to feel the transformation in my life as God is at work flexing His muscle in and over my life! I am learning a little better each and every day how to rely on His strength; as some days, I have no strength left of my own.

Someone once said that, “If life is going along smoothly human nature is to think that we can handle any situation on our own power. However, if we stay just outside of our comfort zone, we must rely fully on our faith in God and count on His strength to see us through.”

That is where I find my life now, just outside of my comfort zone; and I praise Him for allowing me to be in that “slightly out of control place.” I pray that I may remain just outside of my comfort zone where I am forced to rely fully upon Him. May I never become so comfortable that I begin to take back the things I have already laid down, or to erroneously think, in my own human vanity, that I can handle it on my own, and begin to rely on self once again!

So, as I further ponder the question, “Am I the right person to teach this class?” I pray that God, in His infinite wisdom, will continue to find ways to remind me . . .

. . . “No, my sweet child, but I AM.”

Please pray with me, my sisters, that I never forget Who is in charge!


Are you seeking for Gods blessings upon your life? Would like to join me in my quest to allow God to conform the darkness from the depths of my heart? Come out and grow with me as He continues to teach me what I must lay down to be able to “Say Yes to Him!” The study will begin on Sunday September 9th at 6:00.

We will begin each meeting with prayer asking the Holy Spirit to join with us. We will prayerfully consider how to have hearts open to receive His leading. And, we will share a time of praise and worship, through singing, before we open our books to allow Him to guide us through the study time together.

As for me, I look forward to the changes He will make in my life; are you game to join me?





Thoughts to Consider:

“What item, task, behavior, thought, or thing has God been nudging you to lay at His feet?” Are you willing to “say yes to God” and lay it down?

“Today, are you relying on your own strength, or counting on God’s unfailing mercy to carry you through?”


Application:

“Consider any area, thing, person, item, etc., in your life that you may desire to retain control of for yourself. Ask God to reveal to you how you can fully trust in His ability to manage that area, thing, person, item, etc., better. Prayerfully release whatever He brings to you mind to Him, and then allow Him to bless your life as the weight of that burden is lifted from your shoulders.”



Scripture reference:

Philippians 3: 12-14 (MSG) ~

“I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”


Ephesians 4: 22-24 (NIV) ~

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”



James 4: 7-8 & 10 (NIV) ~

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”