In 2004 my soon-to-be husband was asked if he would temporarily fill in as the interim Youth Leader at a church in the city. “Just for three months,” his pastor friend assured us, until they could find someone permanent. They were in a tight spot, trying to breathe life back into a dwindling congregation without the staff to sustain it.

So, naturally, he said yes. Why not, right? We could do anything for three months.

With all of our family being local and most of them attending the same church, it was a relief to have a slice of space to ourselves, a place we could claim as our own. We commuted to the city from our little two-bedroom apartment in the suburbs on Sundays and Wednesdays, and it didn’t take long for the church to start to feel like family.

Three months turned into a year, and when it came time to renew our apartment lease, it made more sense to move closer to the city, since we were spending so much time there these days. The neighborhoods around the church were replete with little bungalows--perfect, cozy “starter homes”--and much to our delight, we landed one within our budget. We didn’t need to stay there forever, and we honestly figured we wouldn’t, but for the time being, it was just right.

Saying “yes” is something we do everyday, rarely stopping to contemplate the power in those three little letters. We often say it flippantly and without much thought. Seldom do we stop to play out the ramifications in the moment or consider how our “yes” will shape the future.

Yes can change the course of history. Yes has the power to affect your destiny. Yes can alter your trajectory.

A yes uttered in haste can invite inconsistency, while a yes spoken intentionally can leave a legacy.

A yes can be scary or brave, but if left unsaid, takes regret to the grave.

Yes can open doors you never would’ve dreamed, give you purview to sights you never would’ve seen.

Yes is the beginning but also the end; the fork in the road is always a friend.

Yes begets yes, rewriting stories. Yes offered sacrificially is for His glory.

Yes is possibility, potential, and promise. We know not what the future holds, but we do know the God who will carry us.

A “yes” thirteen years ago brought us to this city “temporarily,” a city we probably never would’ve considered otherwise. The place where we bought our first home. The location where we started a family and where we still attend that same little church. The city where we chose to stay.

A simple “yes” wielded in obedience can change, well….everything.

It did for us.