A little over twenty years ago, November 16, 2003, a young man in his mid-twenties said “I do” to a beautiful young woman who also said “I do”. Two young people with a young daughter had a world to conquer. A vision was planted deep within the heart of this couple years before marriage to do the will of God and to be used by God in every way available leading to ultimately, to what the late Evangelist Billy Graham had said the highest call anyone could ever have, a ministerial Call to pastor a flock. Not only have they said yes to the Call, but they have also said yes to a life devoted to see lives helped and directed to the cross of Christ and beyond. And despite a few more wrinkles and some greying in the hair of 20 years passing, that passion to see lives touched by Jesus Christ has not diminished. If anything, the focus has gotten tighter and tighter like a light that becomes a laser to God’s specific will and Call are.
And this Calling is far from unique. There are a host of people who get touched, Called, challenged, burdened, awakened, or made aware that there is something that God desires. A desire of God to be not just saved and going to heaven, but an instrument of His will and desire. God chooses and uses words in the Bible such as vessels, arrows, an army, and a lot of other metaphors to convey lives that cannot be for self but a life for others. It is the desire to go forth, to go farther, and to pour out so that others may see a real Jesus who can touch lives in real ways.
But all this begins to a simple yes. It is that initial acknowledgement of our lives bound for hell without ever realizing that that will be our final destination. But then Jesus steps in—through preaching, revelation/inspiration, a testimony, or a prayer—and we are all taken then to a cross roads. Yes or no (in the simplest form). Never can any choice of life be so life altering as a single decision to Christ. A yes to Jesus starts anew.
And from that yes come other choices or crossroads. And as the journey takes us all down a path, we are privileged that God allows us to continue to say yes. Some of those yeses came easily. Some came hard and painful. And some came from an initial no to eventually become a yes. And then sadly, for some, a yes changes to no and a road undesirable becomes their path with its ultimate destination. And through it all and because of His love and mercy, God grants us moments to say yes (again).
So wherever we find ourselves—age 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55…105—there is always a path, always a question, always a Hand reaching out to us. Will we say YES?