the value of No.

How many times have you heard that it is important to learn when to say no?  About a zillion.  So why do we keep hearing it?  I think its because we still aren't getting it...so it bears repeating.

Saying no enables us to say "yes" and to make those yeses more meaningful, more sincere.  If we say yes to everything then suddenly everything is supposed to have importance, everything it supposed to be taking up our time.  Imagine it this way: if we said yes to every guy or girl that came across our path, would our relationships with them be sincere?  Deep?  Meaningful?  Truly loving?  I think not.

Its the same with God.  If we say yes to everything (or nearly everything) then how sincere does our yes to God become?  If for no other reason, we ought to learn to say no to some things so that our yes to God can be deep, meaningful, sincere, prayerful, and ultimately life-changing.

Sometimes saying no can be hard, we want to make others happy, we want to try new things, we want...but God wants us.  He wants our first and deepest yes to be to Him and Him alone.  Does he want us to make others happy?  Does He wants us to be happy?  Does He wants us to try new things?  Of course He does!  But He knows (and hopefully we have learned, or are learning) that we are happiest when we love Him first, we when say yes to Him first and let the rest fall into place. 

What do you need to say no to?  An unhappy job?  A friendship that is only convenient (and not convenient for you)?  A relationship that isn't holy and loving?  A way of life that is unpleasing to God?

Learn to deepen your yes to God (look to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the GREATEST example of an unwavering yes to God...yes to bearing His child, yes to raising Him, yes to watching Jesus die on a cross...) and the no's become a little easier.  Learn to deepen your yes to God and I can promise you that your yeses to those around you (and to your own well-being) will be deepened and your peace, joy and love will only grow.

"May it be done to me according to Your word" - Mary (in Luke 1:38).  May this be the prayer of our hearts!