Brave Enough to Ask

A few months ago I shared a vision, a dream that I've had for some time. You can read about it here.

"I dream of giving books to children in need and educating women about the importance of reading to their baby bumps and beyond. I dream of reading Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman to a little girl born to a teenage mother and telling her she can STILL be anything she puts her mind to. I dream of teaching that teenage mother how to read and bond with her babies. I dream of holding book drives. I dream of a day where the number of prison beds are no longer determined by 3^rd grade reading scores. I dream of cycles being broken. I dream of boys on the laps of their fathers being read stories about the oceans and great lands.  I dream of driving a book mobile. Yes, a book mobile! I dream of bedtime stories read to fatherless children. I dream of future dreamers that will eventually change the world."


In the past few months I've had time to reflect about my mission and where I really wanted to go. I made some changes, including the name of the future non-profit, and selected a date for a brand new re-launch. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

The funny thing about dreams though, is that they can't be accomplished alone. You need people and people need you. I created a timeline of 'to-do's' to prepare for the big day and now that it is October I'm faced with three tasks. One of them is inviting people to be on my team and future Board of Directors. For some people this may be easy. Coffee date with a buddy, order a latte (I'm not a coffee drinker, but 'latte' sounds fancy), "Hey, You want to join my board of directors?", "I'd love to!", meeting adjourned. However, for me, asking someone to commit to a community wide mission and dedicate their time and talents is HUGE. For me it's totally equivalent to proposing on the first date.
However, o matter how many times I kept pushing it off, the task of "Create Board of Directors" kept popping up.

So today. . . I did it.

I popped the question.

I had dinner with a friend (no fancy lattes) and after catching up about school, work, and life, I asked.

I've known my friend LatTrice for a little over 4 years now. We began teaching in the same school district as Rookies together. We eventually found out that we went to the same church and teamed up as DNA Bible Study Buddies. We met each week and studied the word and just poured our hearts out about whatever we were going through in that particular season. In the midst of FroYo dates and School District meetings we've laughed, cried, and shared dreams. Over time I learned her heart and she learned mine.

So, with a cheesy grin, I asked. I explained the mission and the commitment. I told her there was no pressure and that she could pray on it. I said that her answer would in no way affect our friendship, but that I thought that she would be perfect for the team.

And. . . she said, with her own cheesy grin, "I would love to!"

I almost peed my pants. All of the anxiety and the fear of a 'No' were gone. Don't get me wrong, the fears didn't disappear because of her answer. They disappeared because I had finally asked. If she had said no, I would've been fine and understood that maybe, as Lysa Terkeurst says, this just wasn't her 'Best Yes'. After reading Lysa's book, The Best Yes, I've learned that every assignment isn't my assignment and the same rang true for LaTrice.

I am well aware that when I ask the next person, the possibility of a 'No' still lurks. I'll be ready either way. For now, I'm going to celebrate the 'Yes' that I received today. I'm going to take it and keep pushing through. I know that there's a reason I jump up with ideas and dreams on my heart in the middle of the night. He makes no mistakes. I'm thrilled about the future of the literacy project. Even more, tonight I'll sleep with a smile. Not because I received a 'Yes', but because over fear I chose bravery. I simply asked.

Jeanell