What Are the Ripple Effects of Yes?
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
Lesson #12 on a Journey to a Water Well
April-May 2016
One of the best things about sharing parts of our journey to a water well at the Speak Truth Women's Conference was discovering the ripple effect of saying yes to God. After the conference, women shared how “Kisses from Katie” impacted their faith journey. Katie's yes to God created a ripple effect on people worldwide.
Saying yes to God creates ripple effects.
And our journey to a water well was no different.
In April 2016, Henry's preschool teacher informed us the school was taking up a collection for our trip to Uganda. I was floored by her generosity, initiative, and kindness. Especially considering we did not solicit funds. So, I wasn't sure what to do with the preschool's donation.
Our family reserved lodging for our trip to Uganda at the Sole Hope Guest House in Jinja. We hoped to bring 25 shoe patterns cut from old jeans fully funded as a hostess gift to Sole Hope when we arrived in June 2016. We decided to use whatever funds the school collected to support the shoe patterns cut by our family in North Carolina and Texas.
A couple of days later, overwhelmed with excitement, Henry's teacher told us a woman from the VF corporation had donated boxes of gorgeous denim fabric. I was speechless.
The next day my boss approached me while on a break at work. "How's everything going with your trip?" My downcast soul betrayed my words. "A friend graciously donated boxes of new denim fabric to cut into shoe patterns for Sole Hope. But we're less than a month from leaving for Uganda, and there's no way I have time to cut the new denim fabric into shoe patterns or find enough money to sponsor them. I don't know what to do."
"No problem, I'll organize a shoe pattern-cutting party, and we'll raise money to fund shoes."
Then the friend who donated the fabric decided to program the machines at VF to cut the denim fabric using the specifications for the shoe patterns. The machine cut approximately 600 pairs of shoe patterns.
Two weeks later, my anesthesia boss hosted ~25 friends to label and pin the shoe patterns to the denim fabric and fund shoes.
People want to love God and others, but sometimes they don't know how or what that looks like. Sometimes our yes, spurs their yes.
When people see our good deeds, they glorify our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) They're drawn to the Light, and their hunger to be used by God is stirred.
We're tempted to believe our yes doesn't matter. Elijah thought he had a fruitless ministry, and Ananias didn't want to do what God prompted. (1 King 19; Acts 9) Ananias feared Saul and couldn't grasp why God would ask him to restore Saul’s sight. But God assured Ananias that Saul was His chosen instrument. Ananias obeyed, restored Saul's sight, and Saul became Paul—the man God used to proclaim the gospel worldwide.
Paul's ministry and much of the New Testament were the ripple effect of Ananias' yes. And thousands of years later, we're the ripple effect of Elijah's yes.
I’m tempted to believe I have a fruitless ministry and certainly didn’t understand why God asked me to host a shoe party or fund shoes less than a month before heading to Uganda. But because Henry's teacher said yes, God created a ripple effect. He started a secondary mission project that incorporated the help of friends throughout our community. Her yes allowed ~50 more people to say yes to God.
Hundreds of Ugandan children received shoes from Sole Hope and our friends in North Carolina and Texas.
God wants to use our yes to impact our marriages, children, and the lives of those around us.
We don’t have to look far to realize people are broken, hurting, and hungry for God. I’m not sure if you’re the one in need of the metaphorical shoe or the one able to provide the shoe. And sometimes, helping others is God’s way of restoring your soul.
The question is, will you allow God to create a ripple effect from your obedience?
God taught a lesson. Part of saying yes is helping others say yes. We must be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit leads and help others get to yes. Not only should we point them to Christ, but we should help them get there as well.
Lesson #12 on a Journey to a Water Well
12. Part of saying yes, is helping others say yes. We must be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit leads and help others get to yes.
Want more? Start here.
1. Read Matthew 5:13-15.
2. Matthew 5:13 says “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot.” Why do we use salt with our food and how does that same truth apply metaphorically to us as Christians?
3. Salt works as a preservative and brings out the flavor of our food. God uses Christians to preserve the earth by helping to rid the earth of sin but also by bringing out the goodness of God by loving others. How does God want to use you to bring out His goodness to others?
4. How is God asking you to say yes to Him? Not sure? Pray for God to give you an opportunity to say yes to Him.
5. Want to say yes but not sure how? Consider supporting my dear friend Mark with Renew Uganda. Mark’s been asked to implement training, curriculum development, biblical integration, and discipleship for over 6,000 Ugandan schools. Mark and his team will introduce thousands of Ugandan educators and millions of students to Jesus Christ and give them the tools to become the men and women they were created to be in Christ. God’s inviting His people to join His work in Uganda. Will you say yes?
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