Maybe our no is god's yes

​I've spent a lot of time at the door of my life wondering when God is going to show up. I'm discovering that much of that time, God has been peeking through a window wondering where he'd possibly sit if I ever opened that door.

Last week, I spent time reflecting and writing about the idea that I need to say no to more things in my life. Another way of looking at saying no is to think of it as creating room.

We live in a world that offers us a chance to say yes to more things than ever. Which makes it increasingly more difficult for us to understand why God won't say yes to this one simple thing for me.

Maybe God is telling me he is longing to deliver my yes, he simply has no idea where to put it. My life looks too full of yes already.

Or worse, maybe God is telling me he's already delivered it, and it's simply buried beneath the things I just can't say no to.

I live a life that makes it too easy to feel like God is saying no to me. When the reality is, God is saying yes over and over. He's just waiting on me to say no to enough of my life to see it.

It's an ironic possibility, isn't it? That our no is going to be the same as God's yes.

God isn't on the other side of the door saying no. He's peering in the window wondering when we'll make room for his yes. God isn't unwilling to say yes to what we need in life, he's simply waiting for us to say no to all the things we don't.

I always love the story in the bible about the rich young ruler. He asked God, what can I do to have a more fulfilling life?

My life feels empty...

God told him to go home and give all of his belongings to the poor. Then, return, and we will go do a fulfilling life together.

The bible tells us the man walked away dejected. Dejected because he knew he couldn't say no to all of his belongings.

The man walked away dejected, but I wonder if he got to feeling rejected. Because that's our nature at times. To go from feeling dejected because I can't say no to things I know I need to say no to, to feeling rejected because God won't say yes.

God SO wants to say yes to us. His yes is not the problem.

Our no is.

God is ready to come through that door, he simply wants to know there will be a place for him to sit when he does.

Maybe this new year is about creating more room.

Saying no to me more to create more room for God's yes.