Omygoodness.  I LOVE this song!

Dave and Tara introduced me to this song the summer of 2006.  I had just left a busy (crazy, heart-pounding, wreck-of-a) church position and I was in rough shape.  They were about to embark on this new thing called Worship and the Word Movement, where they could travel and sing and lead worship and infuse local churches and ministries with much-needed resources for worship – all for just the invitation, no $$ required.   Missionaries.

It was a summer night.  In a barn east of Brighton and the Holy Spirit was pre~sent!  O my.  And they started singing it and every person in the place had their faces turned heavenward with their arms raised singing, “Yes, yes – yes, yes!”

And I was standing there begging God to show me what was next, to give me my next assignment – something to prove He wasn’t actually finished with my life in light of the loss and the pain of the months just passed.

And you know when you hear from heaven and know it is really God because you know you would never have heard those words from your own heart and mind – you know that kind of hearing?  I heard like that and He told me, in spite of the fact that the words of this song are amazing, sweet, and about simple surrender (and have a decidedly early 70s R & B flavor, which is so me),

“Do not sing this song.  There is nothing for you to say ‘yes’ to.”

And I am serious.  Because He was serious.  He absolutely would not allow me the honor of singing this song.  I looked around that barn and just like the wounded heart I was, spewed out, with hot, stinging tears, “Why do they all get to say ‘yes?!'”    He reiterated:

“There is NOTHING for you to say yes to.”

Settled.  KILLED.  Just broke my heart.  I had thought He meant forever.  I couldn’t comprehend He was looking out for me, making sure I was safe before we ventured further…

Many times since, I have asked Dave and Tara why they don’t do that song more because I love it and God lets me sing it now. **happy face** :)

Flash forward:  A Sunday morning (today).

I try to slink unnoticed in to the church.  I am immediately greeted by 2 of the HF familia who will not let me slink by.  Oh no.  I just want to come in, sit in the Whitewater dark and sing a little (along with my son, Rocky, who is leading), hear the sermon and leave like I came: over-worked, over-wrought, over-tired, all my own fault.

Rocky and Jovan are about to step out as missionaries themselves.  6 years later, we are here again…He has a dream to build a worship team that goes out into the highways and byways, even into bars.  He wants to actually worship the Lord in the dark places.  He and Jovan want to write and produce music that will bring healing where the wounded live.  And today, omygoodness – it reminded me of that little white barn with Dave and Tara 6 years ago.

And he dusted off the too-little-used song, “Yes.”  And I am tired.  And I am a bit beaten down by working without resting, by fearing man rather than God, by all the things I should know better than to allow…But sitting there (in the Whitewater dark) I realized, the thing is, I can say yes now.  God is asking me.

“Do you want to do this?” I hear Him ask…

Yes, yes.  Yes, Lord, yes.

And I hear Rocky lead out with strong resolve:

From my heart I say Yes

From my soul I say yes

All my life I say yes, yes…..

So that is my song of the day.  Maybe the month or the next 60 days, I don’t know.  It just really washed over me.

GOTTA get a camera that can handle the sound and low-lights.  The vid is low-quality.  But I am sharing it anyway, because if you’re trying to decide something right now, see if these words and this melody will fit.  And if it helps you say what you know you already want to say anyway…

“Yes,” led by Rocky Rhoades (my beloved son in whom I am so pleased.)  Words and music by Dave Powers (c) 2006 (my other beloved son in whom I am also very much pleased).

Get your lyrics and chord chart here: Yes- E (CD)