Saying Yes

"To say yes to one thing is to say no to a thousand others."

Elisabeth Elliott, author and speaker

Finding balance in our Mommy-come-lately lives requires paying close attention to when we say yes and when we say no.

If I say yes to marriage, that means I have to say no to other things.

If I say yes to motherhood, that also means I have to say no to other things.

If I say yes to late-in-life motherhood--whether unexpected or planned--then I have to say no to something or someone else.

Christa's arrival in my life almost six years ago meant I had to adjust. That meant saying no to some things I valued, like teaching women's Bible studies. After thoroughly enjoying 15 years of teaching hundreds of women, I walked away from it all.

I'd said yes to late-in-life motherhood. I had to say no to something else. It wasn't the easiest decision, but it was the right one.

Christa also prompted a great big yes to something else I loved but had not pursued for years: Writing. I remember thinking, "If I wait to write until this baby grows up, it will never happen." That realization put me back on the writing road.

Balance: It's about weighing what we say yes to and what we say no to. It's about making choices. It's about realizing we can't do it all.