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| Picture from mysafetysign.com |
For years now, people have encouraged and at times, offered a challenge that has stuck with me for years. "The Lord opens and the Lord closes doors." A solid truth that always reminded me of God's faithfulness in the midst of difficult times, but lately has posed some questions. For doors to close or open, they must swing, right? Lately, I have felt more like I'm in a diner with constant swinging doors than perhaps a still, closed door or a friendly "welcome, please come inside," kind-of-door. Ever felt that way? Just when you feel the door open, it slams shut...or when it begins to close, BAM, you're surprised at the entrance waiting. If you've spent any time in a Christian community, or let's be honest a "Christian Bubble", you know exactly what kind of language I'm speaking...
Let me be frank for a moment. I believe that my God truly delights in pleasing His children and seeing us thrive in our environments. I also believe that He views our environments very differently than you and me. I'll share a quick testimony. I have walked on an incredible journey with the Lord for many years now. There have been opportunities I never thought I would have. My time with Heartlight Ministries and currently with Mercy Ships has been nothing short of a testament to God's faithfulness and love. Meeting my incredible husband and falling in love was a fairytale I never thought I would have the chance to witness, much less live out and serving the Lord in full-time ministry at Heartlight and with Mercy Ships has been a blessing and honor. The Lord's eyes definitely saw more than I did before I took my last steps in Aggieland as a student. The "doors" have been narrow, and at other times, have seemed W-I-D-E and inviting. The path wasn't always straight and smooth, but it has led to times of growth, maturity and a very real and authentic relationship with Christ - something I would never, ever trade.
Without sharing too many personal steps in this journey, I have learned that although I believe in this traditional saying, I also wholeheartedly believe that we are all on a path with swinging doors - in transition times - times of spills, falls, and at the very least - occasional and total wipe-outs.
The highlight is: there is always an opportunity for your door to swing open again or perhaps an opportunity for you to see something else on the other side of your doorway that you didn't see before. Be encouraged, friends. If you're in the "swinging" part of your journey, know you are not alone. You never know when doors will open again or which entrance will serve as a new entryway, it could very well be the same one you're trying to close...
