After the No That Hurt

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

You heard no. It may have been for a job opening that seemed perfect, a relationship where you invested your whole heart, an opportunity you wanted so badly that you prayed for it every single day, with real faith. And now all that's left is the bitter taste of rejection, and the question that hurts: why, Lord, when I asked with such sincerity?

I don't owe you a detailed explanation for every no I allow in your life, but I do owe you — and I never fail to deliver — my presence right in the middle of the pain that no brings. Sometimes a no from me is protection from something you still can't quite see from where you stand. Sometimes it's simply a wait disguised as a refusal, not a final, definitive no.

Starting over after a no means continuing to walk with an open heart, without shutting the door for good on the next yes I'm still going to bring at the right time. I am close to your broken heart right now, much closer than you can imagine in this moment.