I’ve decided to start collecting rejection letters.

No, it’s not an odd, self-depreciating hobby. In truth, I don’t have enough of them. God has opened doors in amazing ways since I graduated from college. Jobs have come where I needed them and He’s allowed me to be in some pretty awesome places.

But as Grete and I are applying for new jobs in a new place with very few connections, a few rejections can remind me that we’ve got to reach out of our comfort zones and try things beyond what we expect. If the only answer we ever receive is a “yes,” we may be aiming too low in our expectations. I believe God has a place – a fit – for us vocationally here. And as we seek Him in finding that, we’ve also got to start moving and looking. In the process, there may be some God-ordained no’s. Instead of feeling bad, we can celebrate that there’s a place for us, and this obviously wasn’t it.

Dreaming big and seeking God may involve some “no’s,” but without risk, we never have movement, progress and success.