What would you do if God said "yes!"?

We often pray for things we'd like God to do. Sometimes the prayers are for the big stuff - Please help the hungry. Please cure breast cancer. Please stop the genocide in Darfur. Other times they are very specific indeed. Things like, please help me find the right gift for my sister-in-law. Please inspire me. Please tell me what to say to my friend in need. And God answers every one of those prayers. Sometimes, He says, "no". Other times He says, "wait". (That's the hard one for me, since I am a recovering impatient-aholic)

Sometimes, though, He says, "yes". And aren't we grateful? We tell people and we thank God for answering our prayer, and we are happy about it.

Aren't we?

Or do you find sometimes that you have a heart's desire and you've never asked God to say, "Yes"? Or maybe you have asked God for a heart's desire, but you're not as passionate as you are when you pray for, say Darfur.

Could it be that there are times when we are ambivalent about God's "Yes"? So ambivalent that we never ask for His blessings in the first place?

Or have you ever played the 'bargain' game? You know, the if-then form of prayer. "Lord if you bless me, then I'll give the money to (fill-in-the-blank)..."

What if God said "Yes!"?

What if God said, "Yes!!"?

He might, you know. He just might bless you so you really can donate $10,000 to cancer research. He might make your children healthy, productive members of society so they don't need to depend on you. He might bring people for you to minister to whether they are the people you had in mind or not.

He might say "Yes", whether you really mean it or not. Because He knows, you see. He knows if you are really ready to be blessed and He knows if you are just ready to be tested.

What are the things that hold us back from asking God to say, "Yes!" Well, fear is a big one, isn't it? Fear of what will happen, fear of what might happen, fear of what might change. And yes, things will change. And sometimes they seem to change for the worse, then we wonder if we really heard a "Yes" or not!

My dear friend, Rev. Carolyn Fritch, was facing a decision regarding a pastoral call. I asked her which way she was leaning, and she said something I never forgot. "I always ask myself, 'Does this scare me? And does it make me smile? If the answer to both questions is "yes", then I know I'm supposed to do it.'"

What scares you? What makes you smile?

What do you need to say, "Yes!" to?

What can you ask God to say "Yes!" to?

Smiles and Blessings,
Sharon

P.S. Please take a moment to continue your prayers for Kenny Hudnall. A real example of how God says, "Yes!", he is being released from the hospital as I write this. If you are interested in learning more about this inspirational 5-year-old, please click the link just under the photo and it will take you to his blog.