If the door opens, it's okay to go

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

We have all heard the old saying “If God closes one door, He will open a window” or something to that effect. I cannot find that in the bible and I cannot find it in my life. I find myself praying for God to open a window or a door. To me the thought process is that if I am praying for that, I will be looking for that. If I am praying for the window to open up a conversation with a friend or my wife, I will ask God for that window. Sometimes He opens it, sometimes not. Sometimes I open it, all by myself.

What I am thinking about is that the window or door being open does not really engage my faith. As I have grown really old, I think the open window or door is the gift, the easy part. That’s the answer. The hard part is standing in the hallway trying to figure out which path is correct.

We can probably all think of times when a closed door or a locked window was actually the answer to prayer. When I worked in Parks and Recreation the biggest job I had was in Hays. While there I did not seek to leave very often. However, there was once a time I applied for a job that was one of the biggest jobs in our state. It was also one of the biggest jobs in the Midwest.

I thought that was the path. I prayed for it. I claimed it. I prepared for it. I got interviewed. I got a second interview. Then they scheduled a trip to Hays to check us out incognito. When I heard about that I knew I had it. I made plans and let some people know. You guessed it. I didn’t get it. I was so disappointed at the time. But I am so thankful now.

I knew I was supposed to be doing something else. I thought it was in the same field I had imagined retiring in. If I had been offered that position our lives would have been totally different. The friends who have held us up in times of struggle would never have been our friends. We would have met other people in another city, but it would have been different.

Whatever door you are staring at, God is on both sides of it. Sometimes God does open the door. But while we are in the hallway waiting, we should think about obedience to Him. If He leaves the door shut, stay where we are with faith that we are in the right spot for right now. If He opens the door, go with the faith that we will be in the right spot when we get there.

Do you ever get frustrated by a door that is locked to a place you want to go? Sometimes we can see in hindsight that we were better off staying.

Have you ever looked at an open door and been nervous to walk through it? Sometimes we end up seeing in hindsight that we were better off going.

Challenge: Realizing wherever it is He leads; those new openings will be designed by Him. But if He keeps us where we are, the path isn’t wrong, we build our faith in the hallway.

Rick Claiborn