From the moment we walked out of the theater months ago and saw the trailer, my son had his heart set on seeing this movie. He talked about it nonstop, counting down the days until its release. But there was one condition: he had to read the book first. I wanted him to understand the story, to know the characters, and to experience the depth of the journey before simply watching it unfold on screen.

And he did it. He read the book, checked that box, and eagerly anticipated the moment he could finally see the film. The week of its release, he asked me every single day if we could go. And every day, my answer was the same: We’ll see.

Then came Saturday. He had just completed his first baseball game of the season and with all the excitement he could handle, he asked again. But this time, my answer wasn’t we’ll see.

It was no.

And oh my gosh….the draaaaama…the heartbreak. The tears welled up, then spilled over. He fell out in a way that only a child can—full of sorrow and frustration. He begged. He pleaded. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t take him to the theater. Why can’t we go? he asked through tears.

Little did he know, I had already purchased the movie. Even though it had just been released, it was also available on streaming, and I had planned a special movie night at home. I knew what he didn’t. I had prepared something better than what he was begging for, but in that moment, he couldn’t see it. All he could see was my no.

And as I sat there, watching his disappointment unfold, I felt God press into my spirit.

This is you.

EXCUSE YOU SIR?!?

He said “How many times have you cried out (VERY DRAMATICALLY I may add) to me, begging for something, desperate for an answer? How many times have you questioned MY no, frustrated that you couldn’t have what you wanted, when you wanted it? How many times have you asked me, Why can’t I go? Why can’t I have this? Particularly when it comes to love.”

Ooop…the disrespect. 😒

I mean…He wasn’t lying (as if He could). The truth is I’ve prayed for new love, for a fresh start, for the kind of love story I never have to question. I’ve asked God to open doors, to make a way, to give me something that feels like a healing balm to the wounds of my past. And yet, time and time again in this season, the answer has been no.

Not now. Not yet.

And it has felt cruel at times. Like my son, I’ve sat with tear-filled eyes, trying to understand why God is withholding something so good from me. But just as I had already planned something for my son—something better than what he was asking for—God has already planned something for me.

His no isn’t punishment. It’s protection.

His no isn’t rejection. It’s redirection.

His no isn’t the end. It’s the preparation for a better beginning.

Because He sees what I can’t. He knows what I don’t. He’s preparing something far greater than I could ever imagine, but I have to trust Him enough to sit in the waiting. To accept the no, knowing that behind it is a yes I haven’t seen yet.

That night, when my son finally realized that I had already purchased the movie, his entire demeanor changed. The tears dried up. The disappointment faded. And in its place was joy—because he saw that what I had planned was better than what he had imagined.

And I know—one day, when God reveals the fullness of His plan for my life—I’ll feel the same.

As a parent, it amazes me how God uses the child I’m raising to still raise me. To stretch me. And to grow me. After all, I am supposed to be the one teaching him, but in so many ways, God teaches me through him. He uses my son’s emotions, his innocence, his deep trust in me to reflect how I should be with Him. And isn’t that such a beautiful representation of the Father’s love for us? Parenting has taught me so much about trusting God’s plan, even when I don’t understand it.

The way I comfort my son in his disappointment, God comforts me in mine.
The way I know what’s best for him, God knows what’s best for me.
The way I long to give my child something greater, God longs to do the same for me. Gosh, I hope I never get too old or too stuck in my ways to trust my own wisdom over the lessons God wants to teach me.

So, if you’re in a season of hearing no, if you’re wrestling with waiting, if you feel like God is withholding something good from you, I want to encourage you the way God encouraged me:

He isn’t.

He’s just preparing something better.

And one day, you’ll see it. We both will.

We’ll look back at the tears, the frustration, the moments of questioning, and realize that His no was never about taking something away—it was about giving us something greater.

So, let’s trust the no. The yes is coming.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo,