Closed Doors

My hand hurts. I’ve been knocking on this closed door for far too long. I know God chooses which doors to open and which to close, but I really liked what was behind this door. I enjoyed it. I miss it. But the door has closed and I can’t stop wondering why.

Ever been there? Has God ever closed a door in your life leaving you dazed and confused? Are you still looking at it? I have a feeling there are a lot of us standing around in the hallway.

I may not know why He has closed this (or any other) door, but here’s what I do know:

God is purposeful

God has a plan for our lives. Not only does He have a plan, He has a purpose. To fulfill that purpose He will move us from one place to another but usually just for a season. Sometimes the closed door is God saying “No”, sometimes it’s His way of saying “Not now”. Either way, it’s time to move on.

God is personal

We don’t serve a “one size fits all” God. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our dreams and what breaks our hearts. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows the sins we struggle with and the victories we have claimed in Him. Wouldn't someone who knows us that intimately also know what is best for us?

God is powerful

God created the heavens and the earth and all things that live among us. We are fooling ourselves to think God cannot blast open the door! But He chooses not to. That should be enough for us to move on and not look back and yet…

Believer, it’s time for us to stop milling around in the hallway. When we finally turn our back to the closed door we will be able to see the new door God has opened. He’s waiting patiently to bless us and draw us closer to Him. God is doing a new thing, it’s time to open our eyes and see it. I’m ready to turn away from the closed door, are you? Let’s do it together.

Be blessed,

Jennifer

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5

It is well

Speed doesn’t usually scare me. I’m fine to buzz right along with traffic each morning on my way to work. I’ve even been known to have a bit of a lead foot. This was different. This was wind whipping through your hair, snow flurries in your face, control your turns or face certain death kind of speed.  I was scared.

My family recently rode snow mobiles along the Continental Divide in Colorado. Greg and the kids are avid dirt bike riders so they were thrilled to push their machines to the limit. I, on the other hand, was not. I envisioned a tangled mess of broken body parts and twisted metal as I plummeted off the side of the mountain.

In time, I got a hang of it. I even pushed myself to go faster than I would normally go. It was really fun! Not wanting to press my luck, I decided after a few hours to head back earlier than the rest so they could have fun at top speed. My daughter decided she was done too, so she offered to lead me back to the rental cabin.

At first she stayed pretty close as we motored through the trails. But her love of speed kicked in and she was gone. I was completely alone on the trail. My initial reaction was to panic. I knew I could follow the trail and find my way back, but what if something happened on the way? I felt myself chocking back the fear. 

I immediately cried out to God. Almost as clearly as I saw the wind dance through the trees, I heard Him speak to my heart, “It is well.”

Peace landed like snowflakes as I began to sing the verses of the sweet old hymn. My perspective changed and I once again enjoyed my surroundings, maybe more than ever, seeing God’s hands everywhere I looked. It was well with my soul.

What does your journey look like right now? Do you need to leave your comfort zone and try something new? Or maybe you’ve stepped out in faith but feel you may have lost sight of which way to go. I’ll admit, I didn’t know how it would turn out. But God did. When I stepped out and tried something new, He met me there and changed my perspective. There are a lot of things in this world we can be afraid of but how many more things are there to be amazed by? Is it well with your soul?

Be blessed,

Jennifer

  “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” Isaiah 3:10