The Five Minute Friday theme this week is the word
YES.
In five minutes this is what Yes spurred in my mind…
My son told me the other day I’m the best negative thinker he knew.
But I can be. So often my first response is “No”.
“Mom, can we….”
“NO!”
Unfortunately, it’s my automatic reaction to my Savior as well.
“Julie, that lady over there…”
“No!”
So to hear the prompt Yes, means to me, challenges me to say Yes.
Say yes to my kids, or at least hear them out before I knee jerk the answer no.
Say yes to my husband when he needs a favor.
And most importantly, say yes to my Lord when He nudges me to do something. Even something I don’t want to, like talk to the lady at the gas pump. Ask her how her day is. Say Yes to get to know people instead of just brushing by them in my haste to make it home and do the daily chores that are always there and pressing.
Yes, I want to say yes.
What about you? What would it look like for you to say yes, or explore the possibilities of instead of just saying no, I don’t have time. No, I don’t have the money. No I can’t possibly – what would that look like?
Here’s to Yes!
Julie Steck 
Julie!
Thank you for such a great post. Many of us tend to say no before we even hear out our kids. I was in a parenting class at our church that challenged us to say “yes” when they say “Mom?” So, perhaps my kids hear “yes” too often…but after I hear the request I can still say no, of course. 😉 I tended to be a “no” person for a season as well.
And saying yes is harder. We have to take vulnerable steps, risk being hurt, but in the end, that eternal “yes” is the one we’re working for in others.
(I’m the next post in line this week at #72 on FMF)
~Tammy
(tammysincerity)
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Hi Tammy! So glad you stopped by and commented. You know, writing for 5 minutes always leaves me feeling like…but I had so much more to say!! So, I’m glad it came across as meaningful. Saying yes is harder, takes more time and so forth – but builds more trust and more relationships. I will check out your 5 min post as well! 🙂
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Wouldn’t let me comment so here it is….. Learning to say yes more than no transformed the hearts of my children. It requires so much more of me so sometimes it’s yes, but if you need my help it will have to be later or yes, if you have the money or yes, if you clean it up but the yeses have increased the possibilities of creativity in my home, which is always a wreck because of all the yes talk ;). Loved this post….all the yes answers…to God, hubs and kids…keeps me in a constant rhythym of singing, “it’s not about me!”. I so wish it were about me sometimes.
Jen
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Hey Jennifer! Yeses definitely make my house a wreck! When I say yes to popsicles I’m also saying yes to sticky floors…which can be cleaned, but you know…When I say yes to kids having a friend over, in my mind I’m saying yes to escalated noise in the house, possibly having to take/pick up the friend…all those areas where it’s not about me as you said. Which flies in my face because honestly, sometimes I want it to me about me!!! 🙂 Yes, Yes, Yes… I’m practicing 🙂
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So fun to read posts from you young moms. I went to a workshop a couple of years ago led by improvisational theater folks! Now that was a stretch for me! One of the activities to train improv actors is called, “Yes, and….” Basically, we pair up, respond to a prompt like planning a party and one starts and their partner must always respond with, “Yes, and … ” and back and forth it goes. “Can I ask Bobby to come over? “Yes, and… your room will need some cleaning before!” “Yes, and… I was hoping I could ask him now.” “Yes, and… cleaning up first would sure brighten my day!”
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