A Sacred Yes

Making Room for What Matters Most

Sunset over Lake Geneva next to Chillon Castle

We did it again. We moved our younger two kids back into their college dorms, and then we left the country. We flew to Switzerland and spent a few days in Zurich; then we traveled to Montreux for another week.

We ate dinner at a castle and walked along the shores of Lake Geneva.

We took a crazy gondola ride up a mountainside and marveled at all the sights.

We toured the Swiss Alps and had lunch in a quaint little Alpine village.

We even walked on a glacier at 10,000 feet altitude and saw the real Matterhorn (as opposed to the rollercoaster ride by the same name at Disneyland).

And then we flew home.

As much as we love an adventure, we love home even more.

Now we’re settling into our newish routine with an empty nest again, making meals for two and planning our next house project: Jeff is going to build for me some built-in shelves in my writing room (a.k.a. home office).

While he draws up plans on graph paper, I’m drawing up some plans of my own. I’m weighing the options in front of me to decide which things I want to say yes to and which things I should say no to.

September is like a month of new beginnings as families settle back into the rhythms of school and other various commitments. Usually there are new signups at church for things like small group or Bible study. Maybe there are even some ways to get involved and serve.

As an empty nester, I happen to have some open time in my week, but I’m not rushing to fill up my calendar too quickly. I’m not looking to be busy. I spent too many years just being busy. Instead, I want to be purposeful in the things I say yes to, so I’m lingering on the choices.

Over the years different folks have given this a different name. Some have called it the next right thing or the best yes or choosing great over good. Susie Larson called it Your Sacred Yes. I like that best. Our yes is, indeed, sacred.

But before we can say yes to something, we have to make room in our lives by saying no to certain things. For me, the best no I’ve made this past year was saying no to social media. I haven’t wasted a single minute this year on mindless scrolling. It’s amazing how much time opens up in your life when scrolling isn’t a part of your day.

I’ve also said no to some other things that don’t fill me. But I am saying yes to relationships. I’m saying yes to one-on-one meetups with friends at cafes. I’m saying yes to discipling a new believer. I’m saying yes to a weekly Bible study with women at a local church. I’m saying yes to long daily walks. I’m saying yes to starting my next book. And, of course, I’m saying yes to traveling with my husband and spending lots of time together.

When our days are filled with sacred yeses, our hearts are filled too.

This is my hope for you. As you move into this new fall season, whether you still have little ones at home or not, I pray you are filling your days with your own sacred yeses.

Shalom.

(I’ve also been saying yes to listening to this song on repeat. Enjoy.)

Denise

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P.S. Share in the comments what you are saying yes to these days. And if you have written something lately, please leave a link in the comments. I’d love to read what has been on your heart.