“No.”
“But why? You could get glory. This would be a good thing.”
”Kyleigh, no.”
“I want to. Please?”
”No. This time isn’t Your turn.”
”Why not?”
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.”
I wanted to go to Colombia on a mission trip over spring break. Several months ago, I went to the interest meeting, and I was really excited about it. I brought my sister with me to the meeting because I thought it would be cool for us to get to do that together. Except when I left, I had a heavy weight on me heart because I knew God was telling me no.
I fought him on it for several days. That conversation up there ran through my head for days. I did not understand why he was telling me no and I really didn’t want to accept that answer. In the end, I ended up accepting the No because there wasn’t really anything else I could do, but I was not happy.
My little sister decided to go. I was so excited for her, but crushed for myself. She’s my little sister so I was helping her with the signing up process. Because I had done one before, I ended up just finishing the process for her. I went upstairs after I finished it and just cried. I wanted to go so badly, and I didn’t understand why God was telling me no.
But the thing is, not even two weeks later I found out about the WR Gap Year. When I prayed about this, this time it wasn’t a no. This time the answer was a simple ”yes.” God told me no to Colombia (and Nicaragua, but that’s another story for another time) because He knew raising the money for Colombia, Nicaragua, and the World Race was not practical. He told me no because he had something in store for me that was greater than I could ever imagine.
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Think about that for a second. I was crushed. It was a mission trip, and it was a good thing. It was something that could’ve brought him glory so I absolutely did not understand why he was telling me no. BUT GOD (ahh those two words together. Bless up!) told me no to protect me from doing something that would prevent me from doing something in which he could get more glory. God told me no about one of my desires so that I could be told yes on a desire that was greater than any other one I’d ever had.
God is our Father. He does not tell us no to hurt us or hold his thumb over us. He doesn’t command us to do things becasue he wants to be mean or simply because he can. God tells us no and gives us commands to protect us and give us the best that He can provide for us (which is the very best of all). When God tells us no about things (even the good things!!) we must remember that he is literally our Creator. He is watching out for us, and He only wants the best for us. Just because you want something, and just because it is a good thing, does not mean that it is God’s will for your life.
I am so thankful for a God who tells me no to some of my desires. If He let me have everything I’ve wanted, I would not be getting to go on this Race, and I would definitely be so much worse off.
Listen to God when he tells you no. He knows way better than we ever will.
-K
