Saying Yes To Possibilities

Saying Yes to Possibilities

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Matthew 19:26

As a mom, I say no a lot. “No, you can’t climb up on the kitchen counter.” “No, you can’t hit your sister.” “No, you can’t come wandering out of your bedroom at 11 p.m. without a reason.”

Sometimes, though, I say no because I’m feeling lazy or inconvenienced. Saying yes sometimes means making a mess, and often I’m just too tired of nagging my children to clean up, or I don’t want to face more dirty laundry or dishes.

I’m not saying it’s always a bad thing to say no. But sometimes, I’ve found that the easiest way to model kindness to my children is by showing them the possibilities of yes. As a child of God, I see the world as full of infinite possibilities. If the main word in my lexicon is no, is it possible for my children to see the world this way? We belong to a God of possibility—as Scripture says, with him, everything is possible—so I want to be a mom of possibility.

Now I try to say yes more often. “Yes, you can make toast with four different jellies striped across it.” “Yes, we can get the paints out.” “Yes, it can be Taco Tuesday.” Yes, yes, yes.

Don’t get me wrong, I still say no to plenty of things. But I’m working on saying yes more often because I not only want my kids to say yes to me, but I also want them to say yes to God. I want them to see that he is the God of infinite possibilities and unlimited chances, and that his mercies are new every morning. I want them to know that, as his children, they can experience the freedom of those truths.

—Kristin

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Look for opportunities to say yes. Say yes to one request—be it from a coworker, a friend, or a child—that you would normally say no to because it’s inconvenient or messy.