When I started reading this section, I immediately wrote a big YES next to this sentence: by saying no to making some things happen, deep permission arises for other things to happen.
I figured out a long time ago that I just can't do it all. Nor, really, should I try. As Muller reminds us in the quote above, it is only when we say NO to some things that we have enough time, energy, space, money, and interest in doing other things. When we say NO to some things we are able to and capable of saying YES to other things, the things that usually land last on our to-do list, or never make it there at all because we are to busy doing other things we think we ought to be doing.
We're really bad at saying NO, as if doing so is improper, rude, or just downright wrong. I have a friend who has a particularly hard time saying NO. She says YES to everything -- everything! She never has a free night at home to spend with her family. She is perpetually stressed and full of anxiety. Because she has said YES to so many things she doesn't do anything really well, often fails to follow through and doesn't particularly enjoy much of what she participates in because she is always rushed getting there.
Many years ago, I found myself feeling tired and overwhelmed. I decided to pull back from several activities and responsibilities to give myself some breathing space. This friend got really, really mad at me. (I mean really mad and she told me so.) She just couldn't believe that I would start saying NO to things. "You don't see me saying NO to things!" she blurted. My ability to say NO cut to close to the bone for her. She couldn't help but be angry.
I share this story as a gentle warning of sorts. As you begin to embrace Sabbath space in your own life, and therefore, begin to make different choices than you have in the past, not everyone will applaud you. So, know that from the start, brace yourself and do it anyway with grace. You are worth it.
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