8.07.2017

Ready and Willing

A friend gave me this heavy, wooden door, taken from her grandparents' empty home.
Only a few days before bulldozers did their work of subdivision development, 
we walked through mostly-empty rooms searching for 
useful bits of an old life that could fit in the back of her truck.

Last summer, it made the perfect backdrop for my butterfly bush
This year it brings sunshiny-yellow charm to my shade garden.
And a bat lives behind it. 
Do you pray for open and closed doors? It's a recurring theme over here.
Every time I pass it, my friend's door reminds me of these powerful prayer verses. 
"A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened ..."
" ... a door was opened for me in the Lord ..."
"... opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open ..."

I don't know about you, but I've tried to break down a few doors and walked 
away pretty bruised from the effort.
By the same token, I've tried to slam a few that keep creaking open again.
It's good news that a loving Father is in charge of opening and closing the 
right doors for me. So ... if He holds the keys, then what's my job?

I've got to be ready to walk through open doors 
and 
willing to walk away from closed doors. 

I can't be obsessed with a locked door, peeking through the keyhole, 
testing an endless series of secret knocks and creative passwords
And walking away from a closed door is just as challenging as working up the nerve 
to cross the threshold of an open one. The cool breeze of the unknown in my face 
isn't always exhilarating—sometimes it's downright terrifying! 

Walking through and walking away both require one thing: 
TRUST
Confidence that what's behind a locked door is really, really not good for me and 
certainty that whatever waits beyond an empty threshold is His very best.
What doors are you dealing with today? 

Lord, thank you for holding the keys to every door in my life. Help me recognize and walk away from the doors You close. Give me Your courage to walk  through the doors You open, into the future planned for me. My trust is always and only in You. 





4 comments:

  1. Susan ~ God uses the combination of your gifts of creative writing, spiritual wisdom and discernment and your love of the Word to inspire me! Thank you for walking through that open door!

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  2. Donna, your encouragement is a gift to me! Thanks for taking the time to leave it today. S

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  3. Susan,
    Yes I've been dealing with going through an open door. At the same time, I've had to say no to another open door. I had to choose one or the other, I couldn't do both at this season of my life.

    Thanks for sharing your wisdom, gift of writing and photos.
    You're a blessing.

    Glenda

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  4. Thanks for adding this, Glenda! More than one opportunity is a great blessing.
    Susan

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Thank you for taking the time to send your thoughts my way. I love to hear from you!