#Oyessa

Have you ever felt ejected or rejected from your life? Changes in finances or relationships leave us feeling completely upended. We were in the interview process with a church once and the personnel committee asked how I would feel about a move to their city. They were asking out of considerable thoughtfulness and sensitivity to me, as wife and mom, knowing that a move from big city to smaller city might require some adjusting. My response was, “Thank you for asking, but my feelings are irrelevant.” I absolutely did not mean that my husband would disregard them or that there was no point in having feelings because no one cared. Quite the contrary. I meant—if the Lord calls us, we go, and we go gladly, or we get glad on the way.

 

The Lord is good and only does good—even when we don’t understand. Wherever He calls us, and confirmed that direction with peace, we are going and choosing to believe it is for our good. Our decision was to obey before we ever knew where we would be obeying. My answer to our gracious hosts was right. But only half right. That night at the hotel I thought and prayed more about it, and the Holy Spirit really convicted me about my response. The Lord brought to mind a high school teacher’s favorite phrase, “Prompt and cheerful, people!” In my parochial school when Mrs. Sims wanted something done, she wanted it done immediately and she wanted it done with a smile.

 

Delayed obedience is disobedience. I’ve told hundreds of kids that over the years. But indifferent obedience is disobedience too. There’s a time for just steeling your nerves and deciding to walk out your fate even if it is not with joy and jokes. But considering Who God is and all He has done, the times that response is appropriate is rarer than you think. Like “on the cross” rare, bound to burning stakes rare, or facing imminent peril rare. I was just moving—moving from one great place to another great place. I had a great husband and great kids—and a great God providing every step of the way. My obedience wasn’t delayed but it wasn’t delighted either. And it needed to be. And that’s how Odessa became #Oyessa! It’s cringe, I know. But it worked. In my head, in my heart, and in my home I refused to see or speak of this new season with anything other than the gladdest, cheeriest, most Polly-Dang-Anna-ist disposition. Are y’all moving? Not just yes, “Oh yes!” Have you found a house? “Oh Yes!!” Are the people nice? “OH YESSSSS!” The people in O-Yessa are truly lovely—as they are in every place we’ve served.

 

God is not just good when He gives me good things. He is good. Period. And whatever comes from Him is good. Period. And everything comes from Him. It’s not enough for our kids, family, and friends to see us walk in going shoes. They need to see us walk in glad shoes too.

We can delight in obeying the Father, even when the obedience I am walking out is not delightful. I can delight in obeying God even in tears, even in grief, even in loss, suffering, disappointment, and defeat.

It requires a constant changing of the heart and mind. It requires constantly preaching truth to your feelings and flesh.

Maybe it’s the SpEd teacher in me, but we use scripts at our house.  We are saying whatever we gotta say, however we gotta say it and doing whatever it takes as long as we remember the right words at the right times.

Common language and common scripts help create culture and identity. And creating culture isn’t just for Chick-Fil-A or Google. It’s for families. By the time your kids leave the house your family culture needs to be imprinted and impressed on them. If not, they will not reproduce it and will adopt the culture of … well, culture. Nah, man. I’m not giving up the good ground. I want to own it first. The heart and habits of your family are prime real estate, and this is an old-fashioned landrace. The enemy wants that same ground too. And he’s a cheater. So, I must be better, wiser, and willing to get there first to stake my claim.

Cringe, cry…roll the eyes all the way back to ears.  Call them cheers or chants, personal catechism. Whatever. As long as we are equipped with truth for hard days.

Who are we? What are we? What do we do?

WE ARE THE FAMILY WHO GOES! WHY AND TO WHERE WE DON’T KNOW! BUT WHEN THE FATHER REQUESTS, WE GIVE OUR BEST YES! TO SHOW OTHERS THE LOVE HE HAS SHOWN!!