The Wrong Road

A while ago Sean shared a video with me that brought major clarification to a question I’ve had about prayer. My question is, why do we sometimes feel, after praying about something, that one way was the right way, when in the end it wasn’t. Watch this 3 minute video by Jeffrey R. Holland and you too will have a greater understanding to why this is sometimes the case.

"There are times when, the only way to get from point A to C, is by way of B".
~Jeffrey R. Holland

A few years ago I had an experience similar to this and have always wondered why I felt so strongly to do what I did when in the end it didn’t work out the way I had hoped.

One of my really good friends and I had a falling out about 8 years ago. I couldn’t help but want to hold onto that friendship because of our history. She was a huge part of my teenage years.  I prayed and prayed about what to do and felt very strongly that I should reach out to her again. I didn’t want any feelings of regret, nor did I want to feel guilty, like maybe I hadn’t done enough. I wanted to be humble enough to apologize for anything I may have done to cause contention. So I reached out and we were able to resolve our issues and become friends once more. I felt great about it for a few months but then the same old things began to happen. I felt judged, belittled, left out, unappreciated and eventually I realized that this person was bringing me down. Instead of feeling good and fulfilled after being with her, I felt drained and really down on myself.

I couldn’t understand why, when I prayed about this, I felt so inclined to contact her. This friendship was so obviously not doing me any good.

After watching that video I finally have more clarity on this situation. God wanted me to know with a SURETY that I did all I could and that some friendships and people were meant to be left in the past. Which brings me to a few more quotes I’ve recently come across on Pinterest.

“we cry over friends we will never have back

people we once loved

bridges that have been burnt.

but there’s a reason the past is in the past.

you only have so much room in your life,

save it for people that deserve it.

chances are, if someone’s in the past,

they deserve to stay there.

-a.m.

Cutting people out of my life does not mean I hate them, it simply

means I respect me!

Life is like an elevator:

On your way up, sometimes, you have to stop and let

some people off.

I have fond memories of my friendship with this person and I will cherish them forever, but it’s time to let go and move on. I’ve done all I could do and through this experience have gained some closure to that chapter of my life. I’m finally at peace with it and so grateful for the power of prayer and how it has gotten me through so many of life’s challenges.