All the No's Were Worth It The Beauty of Every Closed Door

Cue: “I’ll Just Say Yes” by Brian Courtney Wilson

A few months ago, I woke up in that half-dream space — not fully awake but not asleep either — and I heard a loud voice say, “I got you.”

It was so clear, so close, I thought someone was lying next to me. But it wasn’t. It was God.

That morning, I was standing at a crossroads: stay at a job I loved but that wasn’t paying the bills or take a risk and bet on myself.If you know me, you already know — I never pick the easy road. Duh.

So, at 6:30 a.m. I released my shifts, closed that chapter, and said yes to the unknown. To celebrate, I signed up for a hike with the homies. It had been over a year since my last one, so it felt divine.

But this wasn’t just any hike — it was a holy one.The deeper I climbed, the louder God got.“Good day, Sir,” I thought, “this was supposed to be relaxing.”

Yet the higher we went, the heavier His words landed: “You have to trust Me.”And out loud I said, “I’m scared.”

The women around me probably thought I was losing it. Maybe I was. But for the first time in my life, I was walking a tightrope with no safety net — and I was scared as hell.

The Wait That Broke Me

When I got back home, I set out on a mission: rebuild, reposition, and restore my brand.

I started cold-calling, cold-emailing, cold-DMing — 100 people a day. One hundred.And nothing.

I sent pitch decks, portfolios, prayers — and still silence.

So, there I was, talking back to God like, “Okay Sir, you said You got me, right?”We’ve all been there — trying to remind God of what He promised, when the truth is, He never forgot.

Then came the storm: bills overdue, car note hanging, and finally the 3-day notice on my door.That one hit different.

So, I found myself in a public restroom one day, crying in a stall, trying to figure out how I’d gotten there. I was shaking, whispering, “God, I can’t do this anymore.”

And just then, two little kids ran in laughing — one humming a song, the other talking about how she wanted ice cream after school. I froze. That sound of innocence and joy cracked something in me.

It reminded me that life keeps moving. That joy still exists, even when you’re standing in the middle of your storm.

I wiped my face, washed my hands, and whispered back, “Okay God… I still trust You.”

And as clear as before, I heard, “I told you I got you.”

Every No Was Still a Seed

In that moment I realized: waiting isn’t punishment — it’s preparation.Every no is protection.Every delay is direction.

But you’ve got to be still long enough to hear that.

Worship kept me sane. I’ll Just Say Yes played every morning until it became prayer.

And when my phone got cut off? Baby, that was God cutting the noise.No distractions. No quick fixes. Just me and Him.

Then, one morning — 70-plus days later — I got a yes.Not just from a client, but from God Himself.It wasn’t luck. It was obedience finally meeting opportunity.

The Wait Inside the Yes

But even in that yes, there was still a wait.A different kind of wait.

A wait that meant don’t move out of turn.Now when I say that’s a powerful space — whew. It’s too much for me.

Let me take you back for a minute.Do you remember being a kid in school, standing in line for the restroom? You were so close to your turn but still had to wait. You knew your moment was about to happen — but you couldn’t rush it.

That’s exactly what this season feels like. God is watching to see if I’ll revert to old habits when I feel the pressure to move.

Then He gave me this scripture:

“The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant.They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, building the Temple.”— Zechariah 4:10 (ICB)

Listen — I had to fix my face.

God is building something bigger than me.And others have to see His hand on my life, even in the small beginnings.

While I might be seeking God’s face, this part is personal.

So, I ask you — are you willing to wait?To wait for that thing that will change your entire life.To wait and worship like your life depends on it?

Because it does.As a wise woman once said — this is a very serious matter.

The Fruit of Obedience

That yes hit different.Because it came through fire. Through surrender. Through ugly-cry faith.

Now, I can say it with my full chest:All the no’s were worth it.

Every tear. Every rejection. Every “not right now.”They were all shaping me for the yes, I could hold.

Faith isn’t pretty. It’s pruning. It’s pressure. It’s purpose wrapped in patience.

But when your yes finally comes, it’ll make every no make sense.

Things are shifting — and that’s a good thing.

Petals & Cheers will be taking a pause beginning November 1st as we prepare for what’s next. Growth sometimes looks like stillness, and I’m honoring that.

But this isn’t goodbye — it’s just an intentional pause.Keep following along on the journey, because when we return, it’ll be with even more faith, fellowship, and flowers.

In the meantime, stay connected with me through At the Table with Ronisha and Floral & Spice, where the storytelling, the gathering, and the blooming never stop.