I attended a program on the campus where I am employed a few nights ago. In an effort to follow Covid protocols, the program organizers made consent wrist bands available. Program attendees were asked to wear the consent wrist bands to communicate nonverbally and visually, how they desired to engage with others. Red signaled that one maintains a strict six feet or more distance. Yellow signaled some comfort of interaction (think fist bump or even standing closer). Green signaled, “Bring it in” and comfortability with close engagement. Sidebar: The program was a success. Dr. Brittney Cooper was the speaker. Ask about her! As I left the program, I couldn’t help but consider the extent to which depending upon what I am navigating, experiencing, dealing with, that I too may signal messages denoting comfort or lack thereof to the Father. Transparently speaking, it is my desire for Him to be close to me, but allow Him to “red” any and all things that give me pause, trepidation or trauma. Would I be wrong to admit that I want green when I want it, and red when I choose? And further, yellow on standby as I see fit. God help your daughter!

Truth is, God is Sovereign and doesn’t need our participation in His decision-making process. He chooses, lovingly, even if we don’t feel it, the circumstances which strengthen us, challenge us, perfect us and mold us into whom He desires and quite honestly has ordained and designed us to be. Jeremiah 1:5 declares, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.” Wait a minute! You mean to tell me we have documented evidence through the Word that God was in the business of consent thousands of years before the pandemic?!!!! Great God from Zion! God orchestrates what He sets us apart from – and not we ourselves! It is God who determines what proximity of a person, place or thing to build us, bless us, beckon us or even barrage us. Yet through it all – He is with us and He encourages us to have a reciprocated “green” experience with Him and in Him – suggesting that He is always available to be close to us – and that we should always avail ourselves to be close to Him.

We don’t have to be cautiously yellow with the God of our past, present and what is to come. The time and space even before the womb predestined us to His presence, His purpose and His propensity over our lives. And accordingly, even for the issues of life that the enemy spawns to make us tremble, we can rest on the fact that the Blood shed on Calvary prevents Him from getting close without the standard permission of the Father. The enemy believes he has card blanche green but that couldn’t be more from the truth. We can remind him of where he belongs and that we are a child of the Most High God. Think he doesn’t know? Absolutely not.

Perhaps you are in a season navigating that which you did not grant consent. You are seen. You are heard. You are loved by the One who provides His peace is for every banded experience you encounter. He maketh us to lie down in green pastures. He sticks closer than a brother. And the blessing is, if you want Him closer, all you have to do is ask.