A Short Prayer Of Gratitude: Thank You God For Closed Doors And New Directions

Rania Naim highlights how gratitude for closed doors and endings can guide us to better paths. In Finding God Every Day, Rebecca Simon shows how God’s presence in life’s detours turns setbacks into hope. Read below to embrace trust and gratitude today.

Thank you for all the closed doors. Thank you for redirecting me to something better. Thank you for preventing me from stepping into places that were not meant for me. Thank you for the detours because they led me to better places—places I never knew existed. Thank you for not allowing me to settle for second best because you have something so much bigger and better for me.

Thank you for all the NOs. Thank you for the times I got rejected and the times you forced me to let go of the things I wanted most because now I know they were wrong for me. Now I know I’m better off without them. Now I know what I deserve. Now I know that you were teaching me how to be patient because the big “YES” is on the way. The big “YES” is the reason why I heard all these NOs.

Thank you for all the endings. Thank you for all the goodbyes. Thank you for giving me the strength and the courage to end things that were not meant for me and detach from all the things that brought me down. Thank you for ending things in my life even when I wasn’t ready because you were preparing me for something better. Thank you for removing certain people from my life because they were eventually going to break my heart. Thank you for all the sad endings because you’re preparing me for the happy one. The one that will last.

Thank you for all the roadblocks. Thank you for steering my life in another direction. Thank you for allowing me to realize that there’s more than one way to take. There’s more than one life for me to live. There’s more than one destination to go to. Thank you for making me realize that my journey will never entirely be mine to take. Thank you for guiding me where to go because you’re showing me where I belong. You’re taking me to the place I can call home. You’re showing me the light.

Thank you for all the prayers you never answered. I didn’t know what was best for me, and I still don’t, but I trust you. I trust you because you know better. I trust you because you hear me cry at night. I trust you because you know what will make me happy. I trust you because you will not burden me with more than I can handle, and I trust you because you’re the only decision-maker I can count on. You’re the only teacher I can listen to. You’re the only one who knows my heart and my soul, and I can’t ask you to follow my plans. You’re the best planner. I know you have great things planned for me. I know every “blessing” you took away was eventually going to turn into a curse.

So thank you. Thank you for closing doors I need to walk away from. Thank you for closing doors I need to stop banging on. Thank you for closing these doors because I know you’re about to open better ones, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me.