Some doors feel impossible to walk away from, because even though you know in your heart that they are wrong, at one point in time they meant everything to you. It is okay to struggle with this.

God: Stop knocking on that door.

You: But it might still open.

You just can’t see it because you’re facing the wrong direction.

– Jacqueline Whitney

God: It won’t. And even if it did, what’s behind it isn’t what I have for you. You’ve been knocking for so long that you’ve forgotten you’re allowed to walk away.

You: I just don’t want to give up.

God: This isn’t giving up. This is recognizing that I closed a door for a reason. The fact that you’re still standing in front of it isn’t faithfulness. It’s avoidance of what’s actually coming.

You: It feels like quitting.

God: It feels like quitting because you’ve been taught that love means staying. That faith means persistence even when something is clearly over. That walking away makes you weak. None of that is true. Sometimes the bravest, most faithful thing you can do is turn around.

You: What if I miss something?

God: You’re already missing something. While you’re knocking on a door that’s not opening, the door I have for you is wide open behind you. You just can’t see it because you’re facing the wrong direction.

You: Okay. I’ll stop.

God: Good. Turn around. The door I’ve been preparing for you is right behind you. It’s been waiting for you to stop trying to walk through the one I closed.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.