My best yes is a whisper brushing up against eternity.
I’m asking God to quicken my heart to the things He has but un-rush me in rest. I’m finally seeing I can have both. Passion and peace, dwelling together.
My best yes is contentment with my ordinary and a vision for God’s Kingdom at my fingertips. Close enough to touch and taste. It’s open eyes and removable scales. It’s seeing and cherishing my small in light of His greatness.
It’s my little obedience to the now with a hefty vision for the things to come. It is the choices made each day that add up to eternity.
It is letting my fingers swim through my daughter’s hair, plaiting it in rows and weaving it together and what is bound is so much more than untangling stray strands, it’s a tapestry of our life together. It is her reflection mirroring mine, modeling the way she will see beauty and have grace for herself, believing herself to be known and loved before the world will try to tell her different.
I choose grace to cover all the flaws I see in myself and remember I am not made wrong.
It is the long drives with the windows rolled all the way down and the bass turned up, thumping my foot against the floorboards, and my hand is enveloped in his and sometimes we talk but sometimes I just lean my head toward the open air and breathe in creation as we speed toward the setting sun, tangerine lighting the sky in wonder.
My best yes is date night when my to-do list is battling the fringes of my mind and I can’t cross off a single thing by applying red lipstick and changing out of yoga pants. But then we’re driving and God paints the sky and I remember why this yes is important even when we’re too broke for dinner out or a movie but we have a little gas in the tank. And I trace the callouses worn into his palms from the years he’s served me, labored for me, provided for me; they feel like home.
He’s shown me faithfulness and what it means to say a vow once but live it every day. And I press my fingers into the band I gave him years ago and am reminded that he will always be my yes. I choose him.
It is grocery shopping with kids in tow. It is dinner menus and bill paying and being put on hold when making doctor’s appointments. It’s prayers whispered and gleaned from status updates, and church bulletins, and the news. It is an inbox I will never tame but I tackle a few at a time anyway. It’s tucking Spiderman blankets tight around little bodies, and the one with all the voices this time mommy, and one more glass of water or hug or nightlight.
It is a house that’s never really company ready but I choose my best yes when I open it to imperfection with the piles of junk mail I should toss immediately but instead stack on the counter two feet from the trash, next to the pile of dishes left over from my morning rush out the door. It is saying you’re welcome in any way. People matter here.
It is loving the hardest people, the ones with sharp edges, the broken and lost not just in the world but in the pew right next to me. It is saying, Lord, send me, even if it means I’ll stay right here in my ordinary. It is saying I am all in.
It is loving my church, the one that fails and is messy and doesn’t get every single thing right according to me. It is the mad dash on Sundays and tip-toeing in 15 minutes late because no matter how early we get up we just cannot get there on time, but we go in anyway and I hush the kids as we take our seats and we’re never sorry that we showed up. It’s potlucks with something I picked up from Costco on the way.
My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.
It’s scribbling out my story after kids are tucked when the bedside lamp glows steadily in the darkness bringing my words to light. It is trusting God with book deals and platforms and wild dreams knowing that my saying no now means I’m already living the faith I hope to write about because my yes to God is tested and tried.
It is ordinary and all the things I never wanted. It is exactly what God knew I needed.
It is my open hands grasping the edge of eternity.
Leave a Comment
Aimee Walker says
Thank you Alia – I needed to be reminded of these tensions and truths. To cherish the ordinary and keep believing extraordinarily. Blessings to you!
Michele Morin says
I savored every word of this, Alia. And I don’t want to waste time waiting for “just right.”
Blessings to you in this new year!
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Alia Joy,
I’m so thankful that God gives us glimpses of eternity to keep me/us going. He presents them while we are still on this orb called earth and it’s up to us to grab them….like you grabbing date night although a million other things called your name. Running fingers through your daughter’s hair, tucking in Spiderman covers, feeling his wedding band…all God winks. Thank you, too, for the reminder that God did not make me “wrong” – there is no such thing. We all have our flaws, but claiming the truth that God created me…all of us….in His perfect image. God doesn’t make mistakes. Thanks for great truth and reminders to grab eternity in the here and now….lovely post. Thanks for keeping it real.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Carolyn says
Wow! You said it all. We get so caught up in this world. Beautiful words and thought provoking! Thank you.
Sadie says
Alia .. it is so nice to hear a woman after God’s own heart! I’m reminded God don’t make no junk! Lol.. I’m also reminded Peace reigns and discontentment drains.
For I can do everything through Christ… Phil. 4:13. Happy new year
Mari Dertinger says
Alia, you have such a way with words and I don’t mean that as flattery. You can take truth and turn it into healing balm all while making me laugh. I don’t know what Alia means, but Joy definitely suits you. I heard you speak first at Live Friended in October and I was writing as fast as I could when you were speaking on the panel. Thank you for being real and encouraging us to do the same. Happiest of New Years to you!
karenvrooyen says
Alia, I have only been a subscriber for a short time. I don’t believe I’ve read your writing before. Beautiful words, you have graced us with today. God used you to touch me deeply and open my eyes a little wider today. Thank you so much!
Andree says
Thank you for sharing these thoughts for a new beginning of 2018 in such an eloquently written way. You certainly have a God given gift with putting our precious thoughts into beautiful words, in His glory. I loved making my own life anologies while reading yours…
Thank you and blessings to all today!
Tammy says
What a beautiful reminder this morning as we start a new year – with all our hopes and dreams to make it a ‘better” one than the last. Thank you for reminding me to stop and “smell the roses” because this life and all its busyness will consume us if we let it. Thank you!
Ellen Fassbender says
Thank you for giving voice to the ordinary daily things we do in life, to the flaws we have but knowing God made us so they are not flaws but His unique touches and to how much our lives are a reflection of the plan He has for all of us. I plan to save this so on those days when I am feeling very overwhelmed and under appreciated, I can remind myself that I was created for a reason and that all of His creations are beautiful.
Pearl Allard says
“My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.” Alia, this. So much this! If I had a new year’s resolution, it would be embracing more of who I really am and living on purpose to fulfill my purpose. (What you said so beautifully.) Love this post! Thank you.
Ruthie says
Thank you for ur words this morning…oh how they resonated in my spirit …it was as if u read my hearts longing …Last years word was rest and this years word is peace …together rest and peace …will accompany me this next year….sharing His love
Cheryl says
Beautiful words! Thank you
Susan Shipe says
The ordinary… Everything else is icing.
KDW says
Good morning, the beautiful words are so picturesque, mental images dancing in my mind . To God be the Glory!!Thank you for your post !
Brenda says
What a pretty post, Alia. Your writing always touches me. Thank you. ♥
Rashawnda Dunbar says
Alia,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This post captures it ALL and does so beautifully. I saw myself within these lines and I’m reminded that I am “not made wrong”. Oh my! God bless you and thanks so much for sharing this!
Christine says
Your words make me fell like camping out here and reading this to myself over and over again, hoping that maybe by osmosis the words will sink deep into my heart and become a reality for my life. Although, I know I need my own words, I really identify with yours because they make me feel at home with you. I find myself struggling in this season. This past year has been hard and has left me empty. For the longest time, I expected things to happen in a certain way and now that they haven’t I feel lost. But I have to believe he has a plan for me. Otherwise why would I continue to seek him and honestly I am seeking him even more now. Thank you for sharing, your words bring me hope.
Angela says
So absolutely beautifully written that it speaks so deeply to my soul. Thank you for the wake up call.
Beth Williams says
Alia,
My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real. AMEN!! We constantly struggle with being right & perfect. All we really need to do is be real. Be the person God created us to be. Enjoy the simple things in life. My best yeses would be date night, & snuggling on the couch with hubby! This world tells us to go go go & do do do really fast. We buy into these lies & miss out on glimpses of eternity. A simple hug, phone call to say hi, etc. all are simple ways to show God’s love & give people glimpses into Heaven!!
I pray God blesses you richly in 2018!
Blessings 🙂
Conny Stewart says
Yes! This is spot on! Thank you for this timely post. Beautifully written and so relevant.
God gave me the word: GRACE for my 2018 and to be honest, I was a little confused as to what this meant for me for this year. I was just started to unpack it with scripture in hopes to get a better understanding and then this popped into my email inbox.
Thank you! You have perfectly described what it could look like and what God is wanting to reveal to me to “work out” over this new year.
I too “choose grace to cover all the flaws I see in myself and remember I am not made wrong” and to encourage those in my world to do this too!
Kim B Smith says
Alia,
You speak to me everytime you write, Thank You!
And yes, I quote your words: “My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.”
Today I am being real with my Bold Voice and working on Love with that boldness!
Thank you for the reminders and support.
j says
fabulous –Thx–
Linda Schutte says
Beautiful, thank you!