Saying 'yes' to what God calls you to, and overcoming fear of failure in life

Last summer, I had a wonderful internship experience at a newspaper in St. Louis. My first day on the job, I read a handbook the previous intern had written for new interns. As I was reading, one specific sentence stuck out to me. It said, "Say 'yes' to everything."

I remembered and adhered to this piece of advice throughout my internship, and am so grateful for it. I am a slow decision-maker, and spend a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of each possibility of a decision, quantifying the amount of time and resources I think I have, and what I can or cannot spare. Many times I say "no" out of fear of failure. Saying "yes" is overcoming the fear that holds me back, the fear that is the opposite of the love that frees me. Being an intern, where the point is to learn and serve and say "yes" to everything, opened me up to flexibility, humility and growth, stretching the limits of what I thought I was capable of, all things I might have missed if I hadn't made myself available.

Saying "yes" to overcome the fear of failure that makes me say "no" to God and God in others, is a piece of advice that has stuck with me, and I am finding it such a fulfilling way to live. Some of the most rewarding adventures and moments of connecting with others here in Greece have come because I said "yes" and opened myself to opportunity and others. Risking to share yourself, to love others and be loved, I'm learning, is always worth it.

These moments of saying "yes" are fulfilling because it is God -- and what he is calling me to -- that I'm saying "yes" to. I'm learning that sometimes saying "yes" to God means saying "yes" to others, and sometimes it means saying "no." Saying "no" to one thing is also saying "yes" to another.

Let me explain. Last weekend we had a long weekend here, and my housemates spent it traveling. I'd wanted to go with them, but wouldn't have been able to go to church on Sunday, a nonnegotiable for me, although that didn't stop me from feeling bitter about it. Although I knew I was assured of God's love either way, I decided to stay home because it didn't feel like being true to myself or to God to miss church. I thought I'd failed in the "saying 'yes' and risking sharing myself with others" department, but I soon found that couldn't have been further from the truth. The weekend was full of one blessing after another, from renewing rest, to making pancakes while listening to my favorite music, to making new friends. I was able to realize all the ways God lets me revel in his sweetness, and it showed me anew how faithful God is.

Saying "yes" to everything God is calling you to, seeking him to find out what that call is, daring to risk, to share yourself and open yourself to God and finding him all around and within you -- it's worth it.