The year of "yes"

This past year has been one heck of a ride! For a while I thought of this year as "the year of travel." I have, after all, been many places. But really, it hasn't.

My 27th year has been the year of "yes."

In January of 2014 I was reading the book "Love Does" by Bob Goff. (If you haven't read it, you should!) Goff talks about the many things he has done over the course of his life and how God brought about these crazy events. While reading, I wondered how one accomplishes so many things. How do these events happen to one person? One quote totally stuck out to me and transformed how I view life. In his book, Goff states “I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.”

Say yes. That's all it takes! 

Sounds good in theory, but nobody was banging down my door, begging me to come do crazy things with them. The thing of it is, though, the more you say yes, the more God trusts you to say yes, and the more opportunities He gives you.

After completing the book, I felt like the Lord was calling me to go to South Africa for two months. I SAID YES. I spoke with the missionary who was there in Durban (Pr. Greg and his wife Kristin!), spoke with people I trusted, and turned in my five month notice at work. I was amazed at how many people supported me in my endeavor! There were so many times that I didn't think the money was going to come through, but the Lord kept providing.

While in South Africa, I didn't know what I was going to do for a job or where I was going to live once I returned. A few weeks before I left, Sarah and Matt, whose house I lived in, asked me to nanny for their daughter Jasmine once I returned. Included in my pay was a place to live! I SAID YES. I was nervous, and wanted to quit several times a day the first week, but found that being her nanny was one of the most rewarding things I had ever done. Also, I miss her like crazy. 

Matt and Sarah had to go out to Arizona for their jobs for two months and asked me to go with them and keep Jasmine. I SAID YES. My time there was not always easy, but it's what I needed. I went on my first two hikes there, even though they intimidated me. I SAID YES. I even drove 7 hours to Vegas to see my grandparents! And during the 26 hours of driving from Sierra Vista back to Augusta, I saw Jaclyn and Amory, who I have known since I was only a few months old and haven't seen in 20 years, visited Monroe, Louisiana (Duck Dynasty!), and saw my old roommate Amy!

Matt and Sarah were re-stationed in July and asked me to drive a 26-foot uhaul, pulling Sarah's car behind it. What the heck. I SAID YES. (Although let's be real, I said no many times during the drive. It was a bit scary at times.) But I did it! 

And then in June I found out that I had been accepted into the Master's of Social Work program at Georgia State University. Moving to Atlanta scared the daylights out of me, but with the encouragement of family and friends, I just kept on. I SAID YES.

Want to know how to do amazing things and seeing God blow you away? Just start by saying yes.

The coolest parts of this story? 1. There were many more things that happened that I didn't include in this 2. I'm not done saying yes! I'm not done with this crazy adventure!