YIELDing

The image of a YIELD sign keeps coming up repeatedly in my mind's eye. . . verses here and there about yielding and finding it in the chapter of this week's bible study lesson. It reminds me of the lack of a YIELD sign at a crazy intersection in northern California. My husband and I would talk often about our amazement that we didn't see any wrecks there without that yield sign. The YIELD sign . . . there is a cross point in the road and something has got to give or there will be a big nasty wreck . . . what is that something going to be? And on a spiritual level, am I going to yield before there is a big nasty wreck?

YIELD - what does that mean? A YIELD sign means "give way." A YIELD sign indicates that a driver must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed (but has no need to stop if his way is clear). A driver who stops has yielded his right of way to another. And that got me thinking . . . because I often find myself not wanting to yield . . . to my Savior, when I chose the things of this world over the joy of living in His realm . . . to my husband, when I argue about stupid things that don't really matter because I just want someone to acknowledge that I am right for a change . . . to writing for the moment, because it's time to pick up the kids from school :-) . . . or to the constant interruptions because everyone is home for the weekend . . . to the battle of the mind when I'm more worried about what others will think of me than what the Lord will think. These are all situations where I might see a potential collision, but chose not to prepare to stop. I did not yield to the Holy Spirit - my spirit was not been yielded to His because I did not make the choice to give up my right of way.

To yield to means to give up to, as to superior power or authority; to give up or surrender (oneself); to give over, relinquish or resign; to give as due or required. It can also means to submit; to give way to influence, entreaty, argument, or the like; to give place or precedence; or to give way to force, pressure, etc., so as to move, bend, collapse, or the like.

How interesting that before the yield sign came into place, a keystone was used. This is the architectural piece at the crown of a vault or arch which marks its apex, locking the other pieces into position. This makes a keystone very important structurally. Yielding is the apex to being used by God. As Frances J Roberts says in "Come Away my Beloved," I do not use you when you feel ready, I use you when I need you and you are yielded. He reminds us to be fully yielded to him with no thoughts of personal ambition, and to labor to be yielded and that Christ lives in me; I live by faith in the son of God. Galatians 2:20

Father forgive me, when I don't yield to You, Your ways, Your thoughts, Your Spirit in me. It is so ugly when I don't yield (relinquish) my soul (will, emotions and mind) to you . . . help me to live a life yielded to You.