Knocking on Doors That Don’t Open

Not long ago, I saw an opportunity online that looked like it would be perfect for me. I was looking for a way to combine my love for writing with adding to the household income, and this opportunity looked like it could accomplish that.

I thought about it for weeks before I did anything, and asked God a few times what He thought about it. Although I didn’t hear a clear opinion from Him, I finally decided to apply. As requested, I carefully composed my e-mail and chose just the right writing samples before I clicked “Send.”

There was no response.

I waited for two weeks without a reply. I had a growing feeling this wasn’t something in God’s plans for me, but decided a polite follow-up e-mail would be appropriate.

Again, there was no response.

I had knocked on a door that apparently wasn’t meant to open. Part of me wanted to remind God why this might have been a good fit for me, but the other part reminded myself that God has other plans.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 NLT

Sometimes God lets us knock on a door He’s not going to open. {Tweet this}

Not everything we try is going to work out the way we would like it to, but through the process of trying we keep learning.

My time hadn’t been wasted because any writing I do is good practice, even if it never gets past my own computer screen. Perhaps for you it’s something different, but any time spent trying something new or working on a craft is time well spent.

God has good plans for us, even when we don’t know what they are. {Tweet this}

What looks to me to be just the right thing for my life may be far from what God has planned. Even when faced with disappointment when something doesn’t work out, I have to remind myself that God knows best.

If the door I knocked on didn’t open, then I have to trust that He has a different plan for me. There’s a different door I haven’t stepped up to yet, and that will be the door He’ll open.

God sees success differently that the world sees it. {Tweet this}

Life doesn’t always work out the way we think it should. The world sees success as achieving the goal we aim for, accomplishing what we set out to do, and everything going according to our own plans. When we don’t get the end result we want, it might be seen as a failure.

However, that’s not God’s definition of success. His goal might not be the end result, but rather what’s in-between. He wants us to experience the process of getting there because that’s when we grow and learn. When we submit to God’s plans instead of insisting on our own, that is when we are successful.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 NLT

Failure is not knocking on a door that does not open, but rather choosing not to knock at all. {Tweet this}

Then, if the door remains closed, it’s time to let it go and move on, knowing God has other plans for us.

In Christ,

Laura

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com]

Linking up with: Give Me Grace, Moments of Hope, #SmallWonder, #LifeGivingLinkup, Intentional Tuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #TellHisStory, The Loft, Coffee for Your Heart, Thought Provoking Thursday, Fresh Market Friday, Grace & Truth, Faith 'n Friends