Friday, May 14, 2010

Sometimes

(for Karli...
and for every other mama
(including yours truly)
who,
some days,
finds it difficult to say
Yes)...


There is a time for
No.

Sometimes
No
is necessary.

Sometimes
No
is...

...Yes.

No
to having
tired mama crawl around
the living room jungle
like a lion
Is actually
Yes
to leaving her with enough energy
to prepare
dinner!

No
to
Playdough and plastic cutters
scattered about the
dining room
this evening
Is actually
Yes
to keeping the floors tidy
for Bible study!
And maybe
just maybe
clean floors
will free up
time
for a story before
fellowship begins.

No
to one more story
before bed
is actually

Yes
to
ten extra minutes
for
evening conversation with
Husband.
Vital, restorative
minutes.
Minutes that make
Mama
a better
Mama
and lets
Daddy
know he is
important, too.

But
Sometimes
in those moments
The only thing you must say
Yes
to
is

...a gentle answer. Yes. My No can be said softly, gently..

A smile. Yes. I can do that. A smile tempers the word...

A tender, compassionate heart. Yes. Yes! The same compassion He has for me...

So although
sometimes
our lips may answer
No...

...may our hearts
say
Yes
to
Letting Go
of
the guilt
we carry
from
sometimes...

...needing to say
No.

8 fellow travelers shared:

Katie Eagy said...

Aaahhhh. I love this! Thank you.

Ginger said...

You & Ann are such encouragements to me. Balance is good - both Yes and No have their times and places. Hugs dear friend.

Linda said...

I am so thankful you wrote this post sweet Elise. I was beginning to look back on my child-rearing days with guilt.
What wonderful wisdom and balance. You are so very special

Kelly Sauer said...

Elise, you just brought me to tears. thank you.

Joy said...

you bless, dear one...

how often He uses you to speak to me, when I get lost in the unimportant...

May our yes and no always be such!

love from my clan to yours.

emily said...

ahh ... a breath of fresh air, the words that you share, that speak right to my heart.
thank you.
=)
emily

Emily said...

So very, very true... A yes often means a no, and sometimes it's hard to pick--lie with daughter at nap time in answer to pleading eyes and voice or go read with little men, waiting for quiet adventure lived vicariously through a good read-aloud. That doesn't even include prepping a special dinner. (Or some quiet time in prayer) There are so many 'yes' possibilities. It can be hard to choose...

Thanks for posting this. You've given voice to some of my muddled thoughts.

Elaine said...

thank you for helping me see that sometimes my 'no's' are 'yeses' to something else. That is so powerful!

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