Yes and No

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8a

Recently, I read something like this: “We are all innkeepers, would you let Mary and Joseph in?”  I have been thinking about the yeses and the no’s that we make along the way in our journey. First, in the story of Christ, there were many yeses and no’s that took place. A story is written with multiple characters and multiple responses. The inn was full, and the “no” was a response to that. Perhaps we all need to ensure our inn isn’t too full so that Christ can enter. Yet, the place of a stable for a vulnerable baby to be born warms my heart. I worked on a farm, and there was nothing like early morning going into a barn to milk cows. There is nothing like a barn at night when animals are settling, and the barn itself is settling. The work is done, and a sense of peace and accomplishment for the day's work can fill you. Today, I asked myself: Am I Mary who said yes? Am I Joseph, who said no, but believing an angel, said yes? Am I Simon or Anna saying yes, waiting in the temple for years, and knowing my yes paid off? Am I a wiseman saying yes to being led by a star, and saying no to returning to Herod? Am I a shepherd who says yes to angels, leaving my flock? The yeses and the no’s along the way shape a story, shape our story. Each day, we have moments where we will need to respond. A journey requires us to choose a direction through our answers. Does your choice, on your journey, help others towards Christ, or bring you closer to Christ or further away from him on the path…