Three Word Wednesday: Just Say Yes

I announced last week that my friend Amy convinced a group of supposed "movers and shakers" to join her in taking risks and embracing the possibility of rejection. Sounds like fun doesn't it? Sure it does. We gather every Thursday to provide an update on the risks we are taking. I'm sharing on Wednesday's with you all.

My risk is one big risk I take daily as a wife of an Army Reservist. More specifically, my risk for 2014 is seeking JOY in the year of a deployment. That creepy snake keeps lurking to try and steal my joy.

Ask any military family member how to best survive a deployment and a majority of them will tell you to stay busy. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. However, I don't want to fill my time with just "stuff." I want to explore opportunities to grow spiritually, embrace new friendships and invest in old ones.

When Michelle DeRusha posted on her Facebook page that she was attending the Compel Conference it grabbed my attention. A conference sounded like a wonderful opportunity to grow spiritually and make new friends. (By the way, it's rare when Michelle posts something that does not grab my attention so you should follow her if you do not.)

Risk #1: I have a fear of going places where I don't know a soul.

I clicked on her link to find out more about the conference. Conference location: South Sioux City. It would be an easy four hour drive. Finally, a conference within driving distance. I commented on Michelle's post inquiring about the size of the conference and for her input on whether or not it would be a good fit.

Risk #2: Expressing an interest verbally. What if she said it wasn't for me?

Thankfully, no one told me the conference wasn't for me. Quite the opposite happened actually.

The lovely and sweet Lelia Chealey, also attending Compel, sent me a friend request on Facebook and we had a delightful exchange. It did not take me long to fall in love with her. Lelia also introduced me the director of Compel, Jen, and we are now friends too. I'm feeling rather blessed.

#RiskRejection

After time in prayer I felt prompted by God to just say yes. So, I headed on over to the Compel Conference website and registered. I'm going to Compel!

The following morning I explored the Compel website further. I decided to confirm exactly how long it would take me to get there so I pulled up mapquest on the Internet, filled in the addresses for point A and B, pressed "Get Directions" and wah-lah... eight hours to South Sioux City. Oops. What happened to my easy four hour drive?

Embrace Rejection (I'm still working on embracing)

It did not take long for me to realize in my mind South Sioux City was Des Moines, IA. Why I thought this I do not know. Silly me for not doing the proper research prior to registering. Can we say I simply forgot in my excitement over God's prompting to just say yes? I spent quite a bit of time beating myself over my oversight. Either way, I had to inform the lovely Lelia of my dumb mistake because I could not make the eight hour drive on my own, especially this time of the year.

I shared my mishap with Lelia and was blessed by her response: "I'm so sorry this conference didn't work out, but the rewards for your obedience to step out of your comfort zone will outweigh your disappointment. I believe that. He doesn't let the hard "yes" we give Him go unnoticed."

Rejection Avoided

My "yes" did not go unnoticed. I'm still going to Compel. God provided a way.

~ He provided the courage to take a risk and say yes to something outside of my comfort zone.

~ He provided two lovely ladies who embraced and encouraged me even though we've never met.

~ He provided the funds to fly instead of drive.

My message is the same as I shared last week... if God calls you to do something, He will see you through it. He will reward you for your step in obedience. As Lelia said, "He doesn't let the hard "yes" we give Him go unnoticed." Consider what I would have missed out on if I had not said yes. Even if the end result had been not attending the conference (because God had something else in mind for me) I would have missed out on making two new wonderful friends.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

What hard "yes" have you given God recently?

Three Word Wednesday: One Big Risk

Over at my friend Amy's place she's talking about taking risks and embracing rejection and she decided "other people" should join in. I happened to be one of the "movers and shakers" she reached out to. I'm not sure if I'm really a mover and shaker. And taking risks and embracing rejection, really?

I was tempted to move along to the next email but Amy is too awesome to ignore. Three words also suddenly came to my mind. (That happens to me all the time now.)

ONE BIG RISK

I wrote Amy to asked her if my risk could be one I wake up and take daily. My email was raw and unedited and I'm taking a risk and sharing the raw and unedited version with you.

So...what I meant by each day feels like the same risk over and over again is, well... becoming a military family...RISK! There was the risk of a deployment becoming a reality for my family and now it is. Surviving these months apart, every morning I wake and commit to finding the JOY in the day feels like a risk. I'm afraid, dear friend. I'm afraid of what the day can bring. I can handle the small downs (or bumps) that come my way. What about the big ones? What if they come? What if this war takes my husband from me? What if???? Will I lose my faith in Him?

Every day is one big risk.

Today is another day where I choose to find JOY in the midst of a year without my husband. Today I choose to find JOY in a deployment.

I've realized, seeking JOY in a deployment is one big risk.

Satan does not like my word for the year. My One Word for 2014 is JOY. I'm sure he's slithering around like the snake he is saying, "Oh, have I got news for you, Beth. I'm going to steal your joy. Who finds joy in a deployment?"

After writing about my word and taking the risk to share a God-sized Dream, I woke the following morning on a JOY high. The high continued throughout the day. JOY was easily found over a cup of coffee with girlfriends and then the opportunity to spoil myself with a pedicure and manicure. I had a JOY-filled day.

The following day... not so much. Looking back, I'm certain it started with waking up to more snow. We have had enough snow already. The snow felt like one big rejection and I did not embrace it well. Instead of JOY-filled, the term Debbie Downer better described my mood that day.

Most days, finding JOY comes easily. I communicate with my husband daily and there has yet to be a day where I'm not able to see his face. So far there have been few "rejections" to deal with in his absence. But there are plenty of days when I want to reach through the computer screen to shake him and say, "I'm done. Come home now." The countdown until his return remains too big of a number. Why did I say yes to him joining the Army?

God, in His ever so gentle way, reminds me military life led me and my husband to Him. So this one big risk of saying yes to a military life, if I were given the chance to say yes or no again, I'd still say YES!

Saying yes was a step in obedience. Saying yes was a step closer to God. Saying yes was the beginning to putting our trust in Him. I wonder, how does one take a risk without Him?

The message in my ramblings, if God is calling you to take a risk, He will see you through it until the end for He goes with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Don't give up. You may be met with rejection, but He will reward you for your step in obedience. His reward will be far better than anything you can imagine.

Over the next couple weeks I will be more specific on risks taken as I seek JOY in this deployment, rejections I'm met with, and God's amazing grace as I keep moving forward.

{Can I sneak in a message to that crummy, slithering snake? "Go ahead and try to steal my JOY. You have no power here. My God is stronger."}

What risks are you taking? Come join the other "movers and shakers" and tell us about it over at Amy's.