Open Doors

What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ~ Revelation 3:7

Have you ever prayed, “God concerning (this situation), open the right door—the one you want me to walk through—and shut all wrong doors”?  It’s an honest and sincere prayer, but it also requires a lot of faith and trust.  In asking God for help in this manner, patience and prayer will be your allies. 

Over a year ago, a friend of mine found out that her family would be forced to move at an inopportune time in their lives.  She and her husband prayed about all that their new home would need and then asked God to open the right door and close all the wrong ones.  Weeks of searching turned to months with no new home in sight.  My friend began to doubt, questioning God, “Have I not prayed hard enough?  Have I not believed enough? Why is there no door opening to us?” Then God whispered to her, “My child, you asked me to close the wrong doors and that is what I’ve been doing.”

It’s been almost a year since my husband had to make the hard decision of choosing what was right over his paycheck.  Even though he knew he was honoring God by his decision, he still felt as though he had hurt the family with the loss of his job and income.  But we prayed, “God open the door you want him to walk through and close all other doors.”  After sending out thousands of resumes, no jobs have been offered to him and all doors seem shut.  But the other day we realized that even though it didn’t look the way we thought it should, God had opened a door. 

Being a “stay-at-home-dad” leaves much to be desired for a man.  Even though he loves our daughter, he misses feeling like he’s making a difference.  About a month ago a friend presented my husband with the opportunity to help with a project at the church office.  He could bring in our daughter with him and volunteer at the church for a few hours each week.  Until God chooses to close these doors and open new ones, our current open doors have me at work full-time and my husband volunteering in something he really enjoys and raising our daughter.  While it’s certainly not what we would have chosen for ourselves, had God consulted us first, we have peace regarding this situation and know that when the time is right, God will move us.

Every time God closes a door He always opens a window, somewhere. ~ Sound of Music