Dash of Sass: Closed Doors Are Answered Prayers
March 9, 201519 Comments
So often when the answer is no, we assume God isn’t answering at all, that He’s ignoring us or being distant or has turned His back on us all together…but I would argue that those are the moments when God is the closest to us. The moments when He looks down at us lovingly as we present our request to Him and sees not just the small window that we see but the full, great big picture and in His infinite, gracious wisdom…gently takes the thing from us that we think we need most in the world but that He knows would lead to our heartbreak or destruction. He’s not going to let us continue down a path that would hurt us or deter His will for our lives any more than a parent would allow their child to touch a hot stove. He loves us far too much for that. So when you come up against closed doors or dead ends or detours…you don’t have to look up in frustration and shout “Where are you, God?” …you can look around in wonder and gratitude and say “Oh, there you are, God!” Because He IS the closed door. He is the roadblock. He is the barricade, blocking you from anything that isn’t good for you. He’s the ultimate protector and guardian and covering. That’s how special you are to Him. And that’s how amazing He is.
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Life doesn’t always look the way we want it to look. In Mandy’s upcoming book, Turn Toward the Sun: Releasing What If and Embracing What Is, you’ll find encouragement to live in the moment, sit with your experiences, and trust God with the unknown.
You make a good point!
Thank you for Rhiannon’s, I needed to hear this today. It’s so hard when we feel something is right , to accept that it isn’t .
I really needed this today. I was stuck asking how long must I wait for normal, whatever that looks like. I’ve gotten my answer! Love it.
Oh wow that is so true!! This reminds me of the movie that come on Lifetime “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers ” with Garth Brooks saying be glad and rejoice in the closed doors and roadblocks. Because what we think we gotta have the Lord knows better. Thank you so much for this blog!!!
Awwwww such amazing love
This came at just the right time! I just had a door close in a relationship and this definitely reinforces that I made the right decision. Thank you so much for all you write!
I really needed this today. I had a big disappointment today, and this helped to shed light on it.
The problem is my doors never ever open! I am upset,hurt and frustrated.
I have been told that I was not the right person for the job. But God keeps moving all road blocks . Thank you for reminding me I’m never alone during my struggle.
I really needed to see this. Your blog arrived in my inbox at the perfect time. Been dealing with a heartache that seems to run deep but I’m clear that God wills better for me. Would love your wisdom Mandy id you read this.
I met someone in late July and we were together until mid-January this year. We were together about 6 months. In between dates or when he was traveling for work he wrote me endless “I love you” emails. Around American Thanksgiving last year (late November), he told me suddenly had to move to Europe for a dream job. Then contacts me when he said he was now living in Zurich. Here’s the catch: Turned out he was most likely still local yet had the audacity to ask me many times “what can we create from this because I feel such a connection between us because you can see right through me.” I told him we were only friends because long-distance relationships are not my thing. I didn’t want to held back from someone else waiting for him.
What he didn’t factor in the equation is an app like Steak. Not realizing that apps like it and similar others were designed to make sure people can verify critical e-mails were sent and received. So it’s not so much that I have X-Ray vision but my email just happened to have the app attached to it. Since I freelance it’s important for me to know clients received my messages with project updates that are time sensitive. I had been an early adapter of the app for months and just never mentioned it to anyone since no one else in my circle said that were geographically not where they were. Steak was designed to indicate the time, date, and physical location of where and when a message was opened and read. So if it was read by the recipient on a device physically located at the time in Chicago, and they say they are in Munich, guess who the liar is.
I knew he was lying after his tale of life in Europe through email messages went on for a month. Eventually it was clear that it wasn’t a technical error but a simple, good old-fashioned lie. I didn’t confront him. I just deleted and blocked him from my phone, email, skype, etc.
Intellectually I knows it’s not my fault he lied so elaborately to me. But I am still sad and confused. Could you put this in the monthly group clearing to clear? I began seeing a therapist after it happened, it’s helping but I’ve never felt so heartbroken because of the shock of his crazy lies. The only true thing is that he did leave the company he worked for. I have no desire to play detective and seek out the truth. Not interested in any further contact. Not angry, I have forgiven him and myself, and he was someone who did show me that I was capable of caring deeply for someone again after a long time. I’m just disheartened that it had to end so strangely.
This is just like god speaking to me at this very moment…I keep calling my x and he always pushes me and shouts at me not to do so..Guess its a closed door for he has been nothing but a pain in my life..Guess god wants me to have a chance on happiness.Thank you so much for the post.
Really it hurts to have many closed doors so many times i have felt that way i dont know how to lift myself up but i hope one day i will be happy with everything that i will own.
I never thought god would stand In our way to show us the way. So all this time for the last 6 years he’s been in my way hoping that I would see my true way was not with this man or to stay in the toxic town I currently live. He is encouraging me to leave and start my journey. Friends and my therapist have been doing the same thing, encouraging me to follow my dream and go find happiness and live my life. I keep hearing how nice, beautiful, loving, caring and friendly person that I am and i should get the h… out of here.
I kept asking myself why won’t you help me god? Am I such a horrible person that you don’t care about helping me. But after reading this I finally had that little light turn on! I am a firm believer in signs and that there is a reason for everything in this world, I just need to follow my beliefs and stop worrying so much, things will falls into place. I am my own worst enemy and this is going to stop. I will not stand in my way anymore. I owe this to myself and to god to follow my destiny.
We are strong women and we support each other and I send all my love to each of you!
God protects when He says “no”. How amazing is His love and grace for me and you!
It’s like the saying “Rejection is God’s Protection or Divine Re-direction”. It may take a while to see it as a blessing in disguise but most times, that is exactly what it is.
I found your website this weekend at the same time feeling heartbreak over a man that was wrong for me but I thought love could & would conquer all. It didn’t and in the process I lost a part of myself: including my values and closeness to God. By choosing to walk away from who I thought was my soul mate I’ve had to be at my rock bottom and cry out to God to heal me, my heart & mind. After reading your article I now realize God wasn’t answering my prayers to marry this man because he was trying to get me away from him for my own safety. Funny how God uses pain and turns it around to help the thousands of women who read your stories and need inspiration too. God bless you Mandy.
This is so on point
God bless whoever is behind this. I stumbled at this handle on twitter yesterday… Talking about perfect coincidence…. Obviously ordained by God. This article speaks directly to me because just before I read thi. I just had that feeling that God has refused to answer my prayers but guess what , he has a better plan , far beyond our prayers….I’m going to be patient to see the manifestations of his word. Its going to extremely glorious…far greater than what i that was d best….glad to be a part of this. Sisters
It’s me, Mandy 🙂 Hope you’ll check out my other blogs and two books! xoxo, M