Last night at Legacy Baptist Church, Pastor Donnie Edwards preached the final message in his series through 1 Corinthians. As he shared about Paul’s closing words to the Corinthian church in chapter 16, several powerful takeaways stood out that resonated deeply with me.
When God Redirects Your Path
Pastor Donnie shared something that hit home for me: “Never underestimate something that pauses you, detours you, or completely stops you. It could be God.”
He illustrated this with a personal story about planning a mission trip last year. Despite spending over 70 hours on the phone trying to arrange flights and accommodations, he kept hitting roadblocks. Finally, in a moment of clarity, he felt the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t book the trip.” Sometimes what feels like frustrating obstacles are actually divine redirections.
God’s Will Isn’t Always Comfortable
Pastor Donnie emphasized another truth: “God’s will is not about running to the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. God’s will sometimes is hard, sometimes it’s difficult, sometimes it’s uncomfortable.”
This really struck me. In 2022, I was at the peak of my career in public relations working for a stellar organization. I had just completed a project I was passionate about and had been serving in a role I absolutely loved … when God closed that door. Looking back, I can see He’d been preparing me for a change for quite some time. About nine months before that, my husband and I had discussed me looking for a job that would be a better fit for our family, but despite applying for numerous positions and making it to the final rounds of interviews several times, no doors opened.
That summer, after my role was redefined in a way that removed the aspects I loved most, I sat down to apply for yet another job. Before starting another customized resume and cover letter, I prayed a simple prayer: “God, if this is where you need me next, please make it obvious.”
It wasn’t where He needed me, but within minutes, my Connect Group Leader texted me about a part-time position opening at our church. He was upfront—my salary would probably be slashed, and I’d have zero benefits—but he knew I’d be perfect for the position. I prayed about it, and I felt God calling me to apply.
He wasn’t kidding about the pay cut! My income dropped by 75%, and I gave up insurance, a company phone, a retirement plan, and paid time off. But what I gained was immeasurable. God knew exactly what spiritual growth I needed during that season. I learned to pray aloud—something I’d always been nervous about—and found that the Holy Spirit really does provide the words to use when people are placed in your path.
The role at the church evolved, and I eventually became full-time, taking on finance and HR responsibilities. Those 18 months that I stayed on staff full-time at the church built skills I was weaker in—ones I believe God will use in some future chapter of my story.
The Question of Surrender
Pastor Donnie posed a challenging question: “If God asked you to do it, would you be willing to do it? If God asked you to change, would you be willing to change—maybe careers, maybe addresses?”
In the fall of 2022, the church we were attending at the time was going through a pastoral transition. During this time, a member asked the Executive Pastor if they could try to relaunch some lay-led ministries. When a call went out for volunteers to restart the ReEngage marriage ministry, my husband and I felt a clear nudge from God to step up—despite my personal hesitations.
I had only been baptized earlier that year and felt so unconfident in my Biblical knowledge. But I knew four things for certain: I loved God, I loved people, I loved marriage, and I was grateful for what God had done through this class in my own marriage.
It would have been easy to say, “We don’t have time” or “We aren’t equipped” or “We’d rather just be home on Sunday nights,” but we answered the call. Looking back, I can see God’s hand in how He partnered us with the same couple who had facilitated when we went through the program the year before. They had the Biblical knowledge we were weak in, and by co-facilitating together, we all grew stronger—not just in knowledge but in learning how to walk alongside people in discipleship.
Walking Through Open Doors
One of my favorite points was when Pastor Donnie said, “When God opens a door, have the faith to step through it. Because if God’s called you to the open door, He knows you’re ready to walk through that door.”
Through our “yes” to ReEngage, God gave us the opportunity to lead three semesters and walk alongside 18 couples through the program. Every time I felt inadequate or unprepared, I was reminded that God doesn’t always call the equipped—He equips the called. He knew we were ready for that door long before we did.
This is so reassuring! We often doubt our readiness or qualifications, but if God opens the door, He’s already equipped us for what’s on the other side.
Praising in the Hallway
Perhaps the most beautiful image Pastor Donnie shared was this: “If God has closed the door and you’re in the hallway waiting for God to open the next door, learn to praise Him in the hallway until the next door opens.”
Right now, we’re in a bit of a hallway moment. Recently we made the decision to answer another call – a call to switch churches and become part of a body believers in the community where we live. In doing so, we have reached a lot more families who have accepted our invitations to join us (or to send their kids with us) to church closer to their home.
Switching wasn’t an easy decision. We absolutely loved (and still love) our senior pastor, but we just felt God saying He could use us in a different location.
It’s been hard for another reason. After being so heavily involved in serving the church the last three years, we have found ourselves as spectators the last two months merely attending a new church as visitors without a servant’s role. It’s been a time of rest, a time of learning, and perhaps my favorite, a time of worshiping as a family. It’s also found us looking for our place to serve and trying to discern if switching churches was truly God’s will or our own will.
We’re waiting to see if God will use us in marriage ministry again or if He has something completely different in mind. But we’re ready to answer whatever call comes next.
Last night was a good reminder that transition times—those hallway moments—can be the hardest. You’ve left what’s familiar but haven’t yet arrived at what’s next. But those are precious opportunities to deepen our trust and praise God even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
Has something similar happened in your life?
Have you struggled with God closing doors that seemed good or doubted whether to walk through a new door He’s opened? I’d love to hear how God has guided you through transitions and redirections. Sometimes the most uncomfortable seasons lead to the greatest blessings if we’re willing to trust His leading.
