"Rejection is God's protection"

I like it - but I don't have a deep understanding of it

Pep

Pep - I don't use that precise phrase, but I understand what it means, at least from a "Christian" perspective.

OK - here is my understanding

It's like that old country western song

Thank God for unanswered prayers - because if we got what we wanted we would have taken the wrong path not God's path

am I close?

Pep

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when youre talkin to the man upstairs
That just because he doesnt answer doesnt mean he dont care
Some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garth Brooks song

That's certainly a big part of it.

Most of it, though, relates to "submitting my will to the Lord's will, of conforming my life to one of increasing 'Christlikeness'."

Think of it this way, if it helps to clarify it at all.

"Whatever you ask in my name will be granted."

The issue revolves around "in my name," in placing our requests at "His will," not our will.

That even applies to things that may seem "good" to us, but that we still put even those requests at God's feet because He IS the omniscient one, our Lord, not us.

Here's a little something from one of my very old posts that may speak to this issue with a little more specificity:


MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#3217 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------

THE BLESSING IN "NO"
=====================

I asked God to take away my pride.
God said "No."
It is not for Me to take away,
but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said "No."
Her spirit was whole,
her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said "No."
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted,
it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said "No."
I give you blessings,
happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said "No."
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to Me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said "No."
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said "No."
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!


Author Unknown


God bless.

One of my favorite Country songs.

So is "Angels Among Us."

"Country" has several very good songs, unlike most of Rap. Of course, that's just my opinion

My H and I pray together every morning (well, that's just a lie .... not EVERY morning .... sometimes he's on set by 3 AM) ... we pray together most mornings

this AM I prayed for God to bring his mother home
I am sick thinking and worrying and stressing about all her suffering
ENOUGH ALREADY I GET IT ---- so TAKE HER HOME SHE LOVES YOU SO MUCH SHE'S READY

so far - I'm being ignored

still working on my approach LOL!

Pepperband, I had never seen or heard the phrase until seeing it here. My impression wasn't that God was doing the "rejecting", but rather that when others reject us based on our beliefs, we are being protected from getting involved with someone who may impact us negatively. It reminded me of 1 Peter 3:17- "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." Don't know why I associated it with that scripture, but I did.


It must be terrible watching someone you care about suffer. My heart goes out to you, and I understand your prayer. You might find relief from the constant worry if you praise God for your MIL... what have you learned from her? What blessings has He given you through her? What special things will you miss about her? I don't think that will make her leave one second before her work is done, but it may help you until that moment.

((((Pep))))

I watched my grandmother go through this - my family shared care in our home for her as did my aunts and uncles - we'd each rotate a few months at a time - that went on for almost ten years before her needs grew to the point where she needed a nurse. Her children hated putting her in a nursing home, but the fighting amongst themselves was harder on them. Still she continued to live.

Now my dad is going through that dependent stage of life. His bones are melting/disintegrating away. I never knew osteoporosis could be such a vile disease - I only thought it left you vulnerable to bone fractures.

I don't know God's reasons for the duration of suffering. Sometimes I see the spiritual needs of the family; sometimes the spiritual strengthening of the one suffering. Sometimes there's still something left to be done - as in the case of my dad, who for so many years used alcohol to keep himself at a distance with his family that needed to know he loved and cared for them - and my own prayers have left me feeling that he still has purpose in living. Sometimes, like in the case of my grandmother, I just can't tell. But I have to trust in His wisdom for those things I can't see or understand.

Since you've been through labor, you'll understand this analogy - labor can last for hours or even days. But we trust that at the end of that suffering, we have a baby to love and care for - a wonderful gift, but one which leads to the labor of love through that child's life - the growing years, the independence years and onward - we suffer the labor of love through scraped knees and bad choices. Dying is another labor process. But sometimes that labor lasts for days, weeks, months or even years. All we can do is keep breathing while we have breath; let go of control, because it was an illusion that we ever had control - and surrender to His will. Maternal labor is the way life comes; death is the labor by which it goes.

One of the beautiful tenants of the LDS faith is that there is life before and life after this. I can only imagine that there was joy and sadness at the birth of my son on the part of those he was leaving to come into this life, similar to what I have felt at the death of my grandmother - joy that she was released from pain and loneliness that this life had led her to, and that she was now progressing onward, but sadness for my own loss of her presence in this life.

I am working on it
I wish I could say I am working on it joyfully
I have acceptance of His will, but not a clear hearted "trust" in this matter (obviously)

I appreciate your responses (all of you)

Pep, your "approach" is just fine.

And you aren't being "ignored" either.

Each of our "days" has been numbered by God, and we trust His wisdom even when we don't know all the "why's."

"Pray without ceasing" and "bring all your requests to the Lord" does not mean that God "needs" our prayers. He has given us the right to talk directly to God as His adopted children.

God bless.