After the No, I'm Still Here

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.”

James 1:12

My son, My daughter, that no hurt. Whether it was the interview that didn't work out, the relationship that ended, the proposal that was rejected. And after a no like that, it's easy to decide never to try again, to protect yourself by closing the door before it closes on you first.

But I don't want rejection to write the story of your future. A no, however much it hurts, is not the final word on you. It may even be part of how I am directing your steps to a better place than you planned. Persevering after a no is trusting that I still have a yes stored away for the right time.

Don't close your heart for good. Cry what you need to cry, but keep opening yourself to life, to trying again, to loving again, to seeking again. Whoever perseveres after trial receives from Me far more than what was lost.