Mary, Joshua, Noah.
Not just known as epic names, but also for their epic choices.
Mary- a teen with a dream. And her dream was shattered with a visit from an angel. Did he deliver news that rocked her world? Sure did! Did she run and hide, tell him to check his list twice, and that she must not be the girl for the job? Thankfully not. She, without so much as a fraction of an idea as to what was coming- the pain, the heart-ache, the loss, the lessons-she agreed. And the greatest love story of all time was set in motion.
Joshua- the chosen one to tag-team Moses and lead a band of newly-freed, desert-weathered wanderers to defeat the impenetrable city of Jericho. His odds? About a million to 1. He had to rally the troops, remind them how mana was still considered food- albeit more Keto than carb-y in flavor, and deliver the good news that the city walls would fall to rubble after they circled the city 6 times in 6 days and 7 times on the 7th day, concluding in a loud trumpet blast and shouting.
But Joshua’s “yes” helped execute God’s somewhat-crazy plan, and just as He said they would, “the walls came a-tumbling down.”
Now, on to Noah.
I feel his story is one overshadowed by a monumental, epic rush of furious flooding, followed by a picture-perfect rainbow hanging centered in the cerulean sky.
But there is a story of a very faithful “yes” tucked in those pages.
From what I’ve come to research, and many sources vary, our main character was a 500-year old farmer, in the desert.
Not exactly Chip Gaines.
But all God needed was a nod and a mustard seed of faith. And approximately 377 days of patience on a the salty seas.
The girls and I love talking Bible stories in our morning Bible and Breakfast. Time and time again, you see a common theme woven in these stories- God loves to take the underdog, the outlier, the smallest, the frailest, the ones you might never have known before- and unleash GREAT things within them.
The key ingredients? A willing heart and the faith to enter into something completely unknown without all the answers.
I took a moment to look up the word “yes” and found its origin to be quite interesting.
I found, “…old English gēse, gīse, probably from an unrecorded phrase meaning ‘may it be so’.”
“May it be so…” When I say those words out-loud, there does seem to be a slight hesitation, but with an ever-present attitude of agreement. Almost as if to say, “Well, ( eyes closed, heart pounding, open arms) here we go!”
I find this to be 100 % how I have always envisioned the stories in the Bible going… Moses, Joshua, Mary, Joseph, Noah, and many, many more. I picture their initial “yeses” to be full of trepidation, hesitation, worry, fear, and doubt. Yet, that isn’t the end of their story. With more faith than fear, their willing hearts help mould them into mountain climbers.
Heading into the school year in just seven short days, I am finding myself plagued with anxiety. When I homeschooled my children a few years ago, I was stricken with the same anxiety, but its reasons- dramatically different. I was about to be home. With my children. And teach them. Every day. Yet, I was only worried about doing it well– not the actual journey. For that adventure, I felt completely called.
So what is paralyzing me this year? I had a full on panic attack in my sleep last night. I dreamed of having the perfect Kindergarten classroom, but I couldn’t find my planbook. I looked and looked, even sat down to a meeting with my colleagues equipped with a sharp pencil and fresh notebook, all to be disrupted and never writing a thing down. Now, I’m no dream specialist, but I gather that I’m having trouble with the idea that I cannot predict, plan or control how the upcoming school year will go for each of my sweet babies.
They can be as prepared as can be- have all the right clothes, all the best school supplies, even with their math facts tucked into their new jean’s back pocket. But will it all be okay? Will they have enough friends? Will they get into a bit of trouble? Will they remember what 7 X 8 is? Will they help out when kindness is needed? Of that, my friends, is what we cannot be 100% sure. This is where our faithful, “may it be so”, comes in.
Our children are loved- certainly by us but also by our Heavenly Father. And when we cannot hold their hands, pick them up, whisper encouragement and positive reminders, HE can.
God isn’t asking us to let our children go this year… He’s asking us to let Him GO into their lives. Full charge, each morning, bus-rider and walker, kindergarten and senior, Geometry and lunch…no bars hold. He’s all in.
But are we?
Today I am working to breathe more, hug more, smile more, declutter the backpack closet without losing my mind, and focus on my favorite verse…
A lamp. Not stadium lights- illuminating all things near and far. Rather, His word is a hopeful, glimmer in the dark, with a warm glow, guiding me on my path. My children’s paths. One small step, then another.
So, it is with my eyes closed ( teary as they be), my heart pounding, my tired arms open, that I say- with more faith than fear- “Yes, Lord.”
And now, let the greatness begin…
