It’s Your Time to Say “Yes”

This year has been interesting. Stating the obvious, I know. I’ve heard a couple people declare that they are just ready for it to end. I’m learning to understand the difference between chronos and kairos and how to apply them to my perspective of time. Life. Change. Challenges. Process. I think that such knowledge helps to make more tolerable and joyful the things that are hard to tolerate and find joyful.

Chronos describes the quantitative characteristics of time that are determined by the solar system which gives us, years, months, days, minutes, and seconds, and so forth. Kairos ascribes a qualitative character to time that is not initiated or bound by chronos time, though it might be ultimately measured by it. For me, “the end/beginning of the year” does not necessarily mean the “end of” much else. Such acknowledgments only tell me what numbers to look for on the chronos-keeper (calendar/clock/watch). They do not tell me what will happen on those days. I no longer go into the new year hoping or thinking that things will “be better”. That can happen or not happen at any time of the year. Instead, I have decided to be grateful, no matter what has or hasn’t happened up to the present time, and trust that the Father has a beautiful purpose for all of it.

With that being said, I find that each year it gets more challenging to get “into the Christmas spirit”. My annual resolve is to say “No” to everything that might overburden my schedule with busyness and interfere with true holiday joy. I’ve done OK with that one. Literally, like a C-. I started out with the lofty goal of getting my tree up the day after Thanksgiving. For some reason (or no reason) it didn’t happen. This has become a recurring theme. I have not watched a hallmark channel holiday movie or HGTV White House Christmas in years. Until 4 days ago, the Christmas spirit had eluded me. But last week guess what I did ……………… my own holiday crafts! Sounds like nothing, I know. But this is deeper than you might be thinking.

My Crafting Trauma Story

Violins, please…….

By the time I had made it out of 2nd grade, “the fates” had loudly pointed out my non-artistic hand. As hard as I would try, my art projects were assured to elicit smirks, laughter, or pity. This phenomenon perplexed my primary school brain. None of it made sense. I was a great reader and did well in my math and music classes. My coloring had improved and my writing and spelling were on point. Why couldn’t I do art???? That is when the world showed me that I was just another average (or below average) being. What was so hard about drawing a straight line or folding a sheet of paper???? Nothing, Yet, I seemed to be well below average at doing it.

After a while, I started just throwing my art into the trash or not doing the project to avoid showcasing my artistic inabilities. I chose to accept that I had terrible skills, but it would be my own dirty little secret. Since then, I have never looked back. Well, actually I do look back. Often. Every time I try to make something, and it turns out expectedly disappointing. Spoiler alert: Please don’t ever invite me to a Wine and Paint party. I will not come. I already know how my painting will turn out, and I just can’t handle it.

A Christmas Crafting Miracle

But this year, something unexpected has happened. This year I finally failed at failing at crafting, which means, I WON! I think. Here’s how it all happened:

My friend “B” has an impressive Christmas display of diy decorations. Even her Dollar Store materials were “upcrafted” to look like they came from Homegoods or Macy’s. Though “upcrafted” is not a word you will see often, be assured, it is a thing. B encouraged me to try making my own Christmas decorations. I refused. You just read my childhood story, so you already know this. Please also know that I know enough to know that buying NOT crafting is my best option. Our conversation:

The Greatest of Mistakes

As share this with you, I am reminded of this: The exploit (a bold or daring feat) begins with “yes”. It does not begin with our greatness or skill, it begins with our “Yes”. We have to agree to use the “little” that we have. Next, we see what comes out of it and then say “Yes” again. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, again. Before you know it, you’ve accomplished a great victory. It’s the concept of “line upon line, precept upon precept….” The Lord directs or gives us as much as we can handle at the time. Then He builds on that level (like a scaffold) to get us to the next level.

“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”

Isaiah 28:9-10

Application: How This Applies to Race and Faith

When it comes to issues of race in this country, it is much too comfortable for us to decide that the battle is too great and our potential, individual, impact to change things, infinitesimal. For those who are less impacted by racism, we hear:

• We can’t do anything about racism, why spend time giving attention to it?
• “That’s not my calling/passion.”
• “I don’t want to say/do the wrong thing.”

For those impacted by racism, statements can sound like this:

• “They won’t let us have anything”.
• “They don’t care about people of color”.
• “We can never get ahead because of the white man. “

On the surface, each of these may appear to be a true statement to the speaker. However, none of these is all-powerful (unless we continue to give in to them). The quote below is a challenge to each of us:

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.

Sydney Smith

Let’s re-read that last line: Do what you can.

But how? I’m glad you asked. Remember the conversation (below) between God and Moses? It gives you the answer: Look at your hands.

4 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” 2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”He said, “A rod.”3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Exodus 4:1-3, 10-13

We all know how this story ended – with a great exploit. But it started with a “Yes” from Moses (after a lot of excuses, though). Ultimately he allowed God to use all of what He had or was (and wasn’t) to bring about God’s great plan.

Refuse to Do Nothing

Back to my Christmas crafting……………… Our recent church potluck yielded an abundance of live Christmas greenery. The main organizer, Faith*, is a gifted designer. She knows how to score the best foliage for event centerpieces. At the end of the potluck, she graciously offered them to anyone interested. When I saw that most folks were not interested, I shamelessly took as many as an Aldi paper bag could hold. The centerpieces were already clipped and arranged perfectly. All I had to do was grab them, transport them, and reset them on my own furniture. And that, I did! This might be considered cheating in Christmas decorating, but I’m not embarrassed. Go ahead, judge me. And enjoy doing it! I don’t care.

Next, B’s sweet voice came back to me. “You can do it. I believe in you.” Even though I didn’t believe in myself, I said “Yes” anyway and took the first step. I asked myself the same question God asked Moses, “What do you have in your hand?” I thought about what I had in the house and start with the pruning shears. I have pruning shears and a backyard. And that, my friend, is where it started! Every time I remembered something that we already had in the house, another decorating idea would come to me. As best as I could, I implemented all of my ideas one by one, step by step. Though my hands were empty when I first started, they were filled each time I said “Yes”.

• Pruning shears – kitchen cabinet
• Red berries and leaves – backyard
• Spray paint (silver and gold) – storage cabinet
• Wreath ring – attic
• 3 balls of holiday ribbon –attic
• Christmas tree ornaments – attic
• Wire cutter – husband
• Crafting wire- kitchen cabinet
• Christmas Bow tying tutorial – YouTube
• Ideas – mon cerveau

Resolve to Do What You Can

Personally, I struggle to take action if I am discouraged by the lack of an immediate result. It is truly a discipline to persist in and trust the process. I was tempted to excuse myself on the basis of my previous crafting experiences. Instead, I decided that I wanted an exploit!

Likewise, when it comes to tackling racial obstacles, misunderstandings, issues, it is best that we resolve to do something rather than nothing and to persist in our earnest efforts. At first, the outcome may not yield the expected ROI. But if we keep saying “Yes” to the thing(s) that we can do, then what we can do will grow and become more and more impactful. Our efforts may seem small at first but they end up proving to be much more than if we had done nothing at all.

Pray. Ask God for wisdom and the ability to see what is already in your hands. It’s your time to say, “Yes”. You can do it. I believe in you!

Merry Christmas to you, my friend!

*Not her real name