LIFE'S FIREWORKS OF "YES"

Sarah McKisic • October 28, 2019
“There’s brilliant colors everywhere, I can’t help by stare. You’re beautiful. And now I know, why the elders cast their crowns and the angels they bow down. Cause now I see your glory. Beautiful beautiful Jesus.” -UPPERROOM

Let’s start by talking about the miracle that is currently taking place… me writing. Not only that but it’s happening in a place of peace while I slowly sip my oat milk cappuccino and let Upperroom worship fill the room with praises singing, “There’s brilliant colors everywhere, I can’t help by stare. You’re beautiful. And now I know, why the elders cast their crowns and the angels they bow down. Cause now I see your glory. Beautiful beautiful Jesus.” Let me back up a second and explain why this is such a miracle for me. You see I have two wonderful and lively (insert needy and loud) kids. One is two and a half and the other six months. The fact that they are both even napping at the same time and in the same room, is a sheer gift from God himself. Time alone in this season happens only at 5 am (on good days when the kids sleep till 6 am.. which is like 10% of the time) or after 8 pm (on good days when the kids go to sleep at 7 pm… which is again 10% of the time). The timing couldn't be more perfect to write as I just got home from an impromptu coffee date, another gift, and my heart wants to process all that just took place before it BURST! Yup, burst. In all the best ways of course. The conversations were spent talking about Japan, family, missions, the call of God, community, taking care of the orphan and how to be the church. As I sat there I could feel my heart shouting “YES!” with much enthusiasm. I had to hold my lips closed to keep it from shouting it out to everything that was being spoken and hold back tears of pure joy. My heart came ALIVE. It was like the presence of God was on every single word and it hit my heart.

As I look back on my life I can see where my yes to the call of God began. It started when I was a young girl as a quiet thing that led me to lay in sweet surrender on the floor for hours at conferences. It then became the very thing that led me to stand to my feet for prayer after missionaries spoke on how Jesus was moving through them in unreached places of the world. It started as a whisper and now has become a shout that is becoming a MOVE. I remember dumping an old boyfriend because he wasn't into missions and I planned to move to an unreached nation, learn the language, and present the gospel which you may have read about on our “why Japan” page where Aaron has his silly interpretation of this. Fast forward to me during my second year of ministry school, laid out on the floor weeping, harder than I ever have before, as Heidi Baker is giving the call for us to completely surrender all of ourselves for all of Him. Leading us to pour everything out and ask Him to fill us with His spirit. I laid there for hours and poured out my heart to Jesus. I felt like the woman who broke her perfume bottle at the feet of Jesus. I believe my yes that day was a sweet fragrance to Him. I gave him my all and it marked me. As I stood up it was with a new level of desire for Him, a louder yes, and also broken blood vessels under my eyes from crying so hard. 

Rewind to about 8 months earlier I met my Aaron (seven and a half years ago from today). During the time I was in first year of ministry school in Atlanta, GA and he was working at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. It was the year I went on a missions trip to Africa and I was convinced my mission field would one day be filled with dirt and a hut and cold showers. Aaron soon let me in on his desire and love for Japan. Japan wasn't anywhere on my radar. We began to joke that I was like the people in Africa; warm and friendly and vivacious. Aaron was like the people of Japan; introverted, efficient, and innovative. Complete opposites and a completely different vision for where we felt called. This intrigued me and I decided my mission trip during my second year of ministry school had to be Japan. I needed to know what his passion was all about. If I had to tell you one sentence of what that trip was for me it would be, “The place my heart woke up.” Something awoke in me and hasn't quieted down since. The only explanation is - GOD. The tears and love that flows when I talk or even think about God’s heart for the Japanese people came from left field when I wasn't looking and had to of come from him. His presence shows up every single time.

He is moving in Japan, a nation where less than 1% percent know Jesus, and the call on our family to be apart of this move is something I’ve never been so sure of. With absolute certainty I can say He has called us, He will use us, and He has our yes. My yes has become like fireworks in my heart that are bursting with beautiful color. To me, it points to the very beauty of God that He would give a love like this. Great faith is at work in me as I know us being there will happen despite what our checking account holds in terms of financially being able to go. My yes nowadays looks like movement and surrender. Surrendering plans and control because we have no clue how His vision will play out. We are at a point that If we had the money to go and all paperwork went through, we would sell everything we own today and be on a plane tomorrow. Both thrilling and terrifying but all with absolute certainty that He is breathing on our yes. I’d rather we be in the will of God on the edge of a cliff then outside of it living comfortably because the will of God is the safest place we could be. 

The song that was playing when I began this miracle writing session says, “and now I know why the elders cast their crowns and why the angels they bow down. You’re beautiful.” When I hear this song it brings up an interesting question in me - What crowns do I have to throw at his feet? What do I have to give that is costly to me? The answer has never been about possessions for me. It’s my children. They are my jewels, my costly crowns, that I treasure. To say there’s no cost to moving to Japan would be foolish. Everything has a cost. But His worth is beyond anything I have to give and to trust is the invitation. His beauty compels me to cast my crowns. 

So here I am with my firework YES. Allowing my heart to speak out loud and others to peer in. I hope you will join us and be moved by all Jesus is doing through our simple - yes. Gotta go, kids are awake ;) 

** If you feel led to partner with us in prayer or finances head on over to our connect page. Thank you for joining us on this adventure.