"Yes! And .." Stories

Yesterday, I read this from II Corinthians 1:

"For the Son of God, Jesus Christ. . .was not 'Yes' and 'No' but in him it has always been 'Yes.' For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."

Of course, this was a reminder of last Sunday's sermon -- of God who says "Yes! And ..." to us in Christ. Of God who allows the Church to respond to her calling with "Yes! And ..."  And of each one of us who likely has a story of "Yes! And ..." to share.  I'd love to hear them.

For now, I'll share mine with you.  I recently updated my cover photo for Facebook.

 On the Saturday morning before my Installation at DC CRC, Mary & I went for a wander.  And, as two God-nerds are likely to do, we wandered up to the National Cathedral.  Leaving by way of the Bishop's Garden, I explained how two summers ago I vacationed in the big cities of the East Coast.  On that trip, I visited the Cathedral for the first time.  On a glorious June afternoon, I spent a couple hours on this bench in prayer and contemplation.

Actually, I went back in my journal and found what I wrote that day:

Children's laughter-filled games in the sprinkler. A quiet green lawn. A moment of God's presence manifest. Grace on offer. For me. For me who is slowed down to hear and listen and to be. Held in the tenderness of God's breath gentle on my skin.  I have little more to write. This is prayer that cannot be measured in words.  "Ubi caritas et amor. Deus ibi est." (where there is charity and love, God is present there.)

After two years in ministry, I had the "Yes!" of my vocation squared away. I wouldn't have said so at the time but I was longing for an "And ..." There was something more. Something else. Something I was missing. Something of God's presence come alive to me on that bench.

To come back to that same bench 16 months later and realize I am now living out God's "Yes! And ..." was humbling and beautiful and God's presence come alive to me all over again.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what are your "Yes! And ..." stories?  Where have you seen God go beyond necessary provision into the realm of reckless blessing? Or maybe your story is one of waiting, as mine was, with a Yes but no "and" anywhere to be found.