I have been thinking about the quiet yes.

This week, I faced choices that tested me. There were challenges. At such times I have learned to strive for acceptance. The universe is inexorable, and fighting it can lead to despair. Over and over, life has taught me: acceptance is the key.

But there is a line between acceptance and capitulation.

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The wind whips the trees on the mountaintop.

Some bend. Too long the wind, and they may grow bent forever. Others stand rigid. They may break.

Some, even, are uprooted, their feet unable to grip the soil against the force.

Nature teaches discernment: when to bend, when to stand. The choice is not always plain.

Just as the trees must find their balance in the wind, so, too, must I. Only then can I hope to have poise.

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I am taught that acceptance is almost always the answer. This is the freely given yes, the quiet yes.

But sometimes, others coerce. There is injustice.

In such moments we are called to have courage to be on a true path. How does one accept the unacceptable? We must stand against what cannot be.

The universe, in its inexorable march, allows rocks in the stream, mire in the field, war in the land. There is a higher acceptance: to accept our true calling, to walk along the path to peace, even as it winds through dark valleys.

To give a yes, rather than let it be taken.

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This article is crossposted on my other project, The Higher Journal, a daily offering of devotional poetry. Each Sunday I post a reflection on the week. If this interests you, I encourage you to read it and consider subscribing.