His Best Can Be Painful

It’s funny, I have a sign (in the hallway) that says when God closes a door, I’ll praise Him in the hallway. We all expect God to grant the prayers of the humble, the righteous, the faithful… but sometimes He says “no”. And I will never forget the moment when I knew God had answered “no” to something I really wanted (add an emphasis on I).

After asking the Lord for months I heard Him say No and a door slam. It was pretty definitive… this was not my path. I wasn’t presented with another door until much later. In that moment I was disappointed, it happens when things don’t go how we expected. When we are forced to let go of something we really long for grief is a flesh response. The weight of disappointment can be crushing. This is the moment we are to hand it over to God…

At first, I didn’t realize his plans were better than my own. Moments of heartache and (seemingly) empty hands, left me wondering why he would take away this opportunity I desired so much. I wrongfully believed that if he wouldn’t give me what I wanted, he must not have understood how important it was to me. It seemed like he was needlessly withholding, not giving

He is not afraid of your pain. Ugly crying to God does not change the way He looks at you or the way He loves you. He wants you to draw near. Sometimes we have to break so that the Lord can put us back together the way we were supposed to be.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

Once we realize that God’s plan may not be easy or comfortable He is always working all things together for our good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28