Am I Ready for “YES”? – DND Meditation

I read an article in Guideposts[1], “How to Talk to Strangers About Your Faith.” While I write about my faith walk, talking about it is harder for me. As an introvert, I am not keen on talking to strangers, especially about personal topics, without forewarning. The tips in that article were helpful, and I was eager to implement them.

Ironically, someone asked me about my faith the next day, and my reaction did not use any of those tips. I reverted to my old self with suspicion reigning. I actually became angry and defensive when my response did not seem to fall within his “right answer” range. As I hurried away, I had an AHA. God had provided an opportunity to talk with a stranger about my faith; instead, I did the opposite. I forgot that to improve a skill I had to practice the skill. God had answered my request by placing me in an uncomfortable situation that required me to use those new skills. That encounter reminded me of when I used to pray for patience until I realized that to develop patience I would be placed in situations where I needed to exercise patience. 😊

In Mark 10:35-45, two disciples, brothers, asked Jesus for a unique privilege. James and John asked for the special seats beside Jesus, on his immediate left and right, in his kingdom. This request came just after Jesus foretold his upcoming trials. Jesus’ reply to them shows how a “Yes” may come in an unexpected or uncomfortable way.

Let me briefly interpret that conversation:

        James & John (boldly): Hey Jesus. We want you to give us whatever we ask for.
  JESUS (with that one raised eyebrow): And what would that be?
        James & John (unabashedly): We want you to assign us seats on your right and your left in
         glory.
   JESUS (gently shaking his head, takes a breath): Are you sure you know what you are asking for?
   Can you go through what I’m about to go through? Do you even realize what I’m facing?
        James & John (confidently): Of course!
   JESUS (patiently): True, you will go through it all. HOWEVER, you are asking the wrong person. I’m
   not the one who decides these things or prepares those who sit on my right and left.[2]

Like the disciples James and John, I had asked without fully anticipating what would be required to receive. A “Yes” does not necessarily mean that God will instantaneously bestow what I asked. I have had some quick “Yes” responses, for example, when I asked for the right words in a difficult situation. But a “Yes” may require more of me. More time. More work. More commitment. More reflection. More tries. More faith. More reliance on God. A “Yes” will require trust building, patience practicing, knee bending, control releasing, and mind changing. The road to my “Yes” may take a few twists and dips. A “Yes” will necessitate gratitude prayers for the “Yes” and repentance prayers for the mistakes made as I grow into that “Yes.”

Does that mean I should not ask God for ____________? {You fill in the blank.} Of course not. Plenty of Scriptures advise me to ask in Jesus’ name. To seek God’s will in my life. But how God bestows the “Yes” may not be what I expect. When I asked God to let me be His light, He did so in a way that required patience and compassion when I was feeling neither. (Read The Light.) Will I trust God to provide the way to the “Yes?” Like James and John, I want to answer, “I am able.” It is time for me to review that Guideposts article to prepare for the next opportunity to talk about my faith, without anger, suspicion, or fear. I want to fully embrace that “Yes” from God.

Reflection: Think about a “Yes” you received from God. Was it instantaneous or did it require work from you? What growth did you have with your “Yes?” How did you manage with the “Yes?”

[1] Guideposts is an online devotional website: https://guideposts.org/.

[2] This dialogue is eisegetic, i.e. my own interpretation of the conversation.

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