One word changes everything…

We are enthralled by the efforts some enterprising young men take to have the woman of their dreams say this word. Billions are spent by companies on sales, marketing, and PR resources to get consumers to express the idea of it through their choices.

Our lives depend on others saying or acting on the idea of yes. Our destiny is often determined by the moments when we have said it, or wish we had.

The first step onto the high wire  of positive choice risks so much.

We overcome the fear, doubt, images of shame, and past defeat. Sometimes with abandon running fearlessly above the dark abyss below, no concern for safety nets or harnesses, confident of our skill and courage.

Dramatically, we take a tentative first step, balancing an extra load upon our backs, testing the wire ahead,  mastering each step with bravado tempered by carefully weighed movements, our pulse alone causing the tempest that threatens our demise.

We press on knowing our hope is in completion, in reaching out to the distant goal, focused on our journey, using our mind to force the agreement a heart may be too faint to accept. No turning back, full of commitment, powering past the dread. At last we reach our safe nest, secure enough to survey our journey. We stand as conquerors who no longer see the battle as we bask in the glory of our goal.

We have arrived because we started with yes, and met the anguish of the journey with a thousand times a yes. A yes to face our doubts, a yes to those who follow after, and a yes to trust path of those who came before.

This journey of commitment comforts no cynic as it builds homes, families, careers, art, social movements, enterprises, societies, and nations on the backs of dreams fulfilled.

The only path to knowing God is in a yes pursued like no other; fulfilling faith and love with its hopeful embrace.

Yes, it changes everything.