Yes!

     Yesterday morning, it was the usual mad rush.  Granted, life has become a bit more, well, complicated, when you add to the usual morning mix helping a child with a wheelchair and a walker get ready for school.  Everything seems to take exponentially longer.  And then there's the hauling and hefting and hurrying.  By the way, in case anyone is looking for a new fitness regime, I'm suggesting power wheelchair lifting in and out of a suburban.  Great for the arms... not so terrific for the back.
     We had readied, fed, and delivered our high schoolers to school, and now it was time to do the whole wild dash again with our 5th grader (who goes to school about 30 minutes later).   Now just for a bit of background: thursday was grammar test day.  Grammar, I've discovered, is not a barrel of fun, nor is it easy.  We've been trying to go over this stuff the past few days, but seriously, this is not for the faint of heart.  And along with decluttering, car repair, figuring out directions, and balancing my checkbook, is not on the list of our (or at least my) natural proclivities.
     The plan was to go over the parts of a sentence with our son one more time before running to school, but as is my tendency, the plan was based on being able to cram five hours worth of activity into one hour of time.  If only.  Needless to say, we were running late.  So, I did what any good mama would do: I quizzed my son in the car  on the way to school while he zipped up his book bag, finished buttoning his shirt, and tied his shoelaces.
     "Okay, Peter, here's a sentence, and you tell me what each word is:  'Oscar ran to the store.'  First off, what is Oscar?"
     Peter immediately responded with "noun."
    "NO!  What is Oscar?" I demanded.
    "Mom," Peter insisted, "it's a noun!"
     "NO!... uh, wait a minute, that's right.  It is a noun.  Sorry about that," I sheepishly mumbled.   "Mom, I think you need to back to kindergarden," Peter laughed.  And then we both burst out in big guffaws.  I had been so harried and hurried that I couldn't even identify a noun for my now throughly confused 5th grader.   And truth be told, I had been so prepared for him to be wrong--I was just so ready to say "NO"--that I missed his obviously correct answer that merited a big "YES!"  Good grief.
     It can be so easy to fall into that negativity trap, can't it?  We falter, or someone we love falters, and we can sometimes too quickly fail to give them or ourselves the benefit of the doubt.  We look for the "no's" instead of the "yeses."  We see all that is wrong or focus on the few weaknesses rather than viewing all that is right and all the many strengths.
     And sometimes our quick and harsh "No!" causes us to miss life's "Yes!" that is right there in front of us.  I had been so focused on getting everyone ready and on trying to prepare our son for a quiz that I nearly missed the simple joy of fixing them breakfast and spending a few moments with them and just enjoying them as we went to school.  Boy, our busyness can be such a joy stealer and rob us of the ability to treasure those everyday moments that build our relationships
     Ten years from now what would be more important: our son's grade on one test or his mother's unconditional love in the morning as she sent him off to school?  Would he remember my laughter and my love--all my Yeses--or my harried nagging and quizzing--my No's?  I think I know the answer; it's just that I sometimes forget to ask the question.
     But my Savior never forgets.  And His love never fails.. for it is always "Yes" in Christ.   I have always loved the verse: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ.  And so through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."  (2Cor.1:20)   All that God has promised is Yes in Christ.  Yes, God loves us.  Yes, He forgives us.  Yes, His mercies are new every morning.  Yes, He will never leave us or forsake us.  Yes, we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.  Yes, He is our Rock and Refuge.  Yes, He is our Light.  Yes, He is preparing a place for each of us. Yes, He is our very present help in trouble.  Yes, He is the Resurrection and the Life.
      Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes... to every promise in His Word. He is always and eternally YES.  And we are the Amen.  O Lord, help us to live that way!  Help us to declare the Amen to Your glory by the way we live and the way we love.  Forgive us when we forget who You are and what You have done, and thus live as if God's promises were nullified. We tend to doubt and focus on life's No's.
     But all God's promises are Yes in Christ!  So might we live what we profess--Yes in Christ's love.  Yes in Christ's grace.  Yes in Christ's power.  Yes in Christ's joy.  Yes in Christ's hope.  Yes in Christ's peace.  Yes in Christ's victory.  Yes, not no.  Yes!
     And we all say "Amen" to the glory of God.