Open The Door!

Shamed to admit, I embarrassed only myself this afternoon. I almost dismissed blogging my experience today but instead asked myself, 'Why waste any situation in which God places me if He put me there to share my humanity with another?"

And thus the image of a door with a knob...I scrubbed, painted, sanded again and then painted a last time. Today was the day the french knob would be put back in order and my newly painted bedroom would be finished. I envisioned standing back and admiring all of my labor.

I was seconds away from success. With phillips screwdriver in hand, from inside my bedroom I inserted the center piece of the doorknob hardware. I shut the door without inserting the doorknob. Click. I smiled knowing that part of the knob was screwed in properly. I stuck my finger confidently in that hole and yanked. Nothing. The door did not budge. I inserted the screw driver in the hole and turned. I yanked the door. Nothing. Deep breath. I yanked my newly hung robe off the hook on the door and yanked on the hook as I turned the screw driver once more. Nothing.

I panicked. I would be stuck in my bedroom all day with no phone, no way out. I contemplated opening my bedroom windows and jumping out but then realized I would have no way to get in my house even though my french doors inside my house were ajar. I went back to the door shaking my head. This couldn't be happening.

I felt silly. I felt stupid actually. I hate to admit that I took that screwdriver and in anger (in Moses fashion) and struck the door ware. I swirled the screwdriver around the circular shape and wondered how I had locked myself in my bedroom. Home alone. I panicked for just a second more and then said aloud, Duh!

I stuck the french door knob in the hardware, pushed down on the handle and pulled the door open. Voila! I was free! I felt foolish but I suddenly felt free.

I learned two things from my silly escape into imprisonment today. One is that I simply need to have a spare key made and hide it somewhere in my yard. I would have been able to make my way back into my home if I had a front door key waiting for me somewhere outside had my logical self not saved the day.

Secondly, I was reminded of Jesus standing at the door in Luke 11:9-10. Recently our pastor gave a sermon with a door for a prop on stage. The door was such a visual of the opportunity (or lack thereof) that we all have concerning eternal life. Ask. Seek. Knock.

Today, physically, I did not have the option of a doorknob on the other side. No one was home (except my cats) and no one was going to open the door for me from the other side of the door - at least at that very moment. I chose to make a decision. I searched for a solution. I received a way out.

Our pastor reminded us as he stood in front of the door during his sermon of the fact that Jesus is always waiting on the other side. He is not going to open the door for us. He gives us a knob - a way of escape from our side of the room. He offers us the solution - His son (John 3:16).

I am so grateful to have made that decision (Romans 10:9-11). As I sit here blogging away in my office just steps away from the door of embarrassment, I am humbled. Humbled to know that God used a donkey back in the day in order to teach a lesson. And today He used an amateur painter and half a french doorknob to remind me that He is always there and will never leave or forsake me - - even if I do panic every once in a while and now and then have a Moses moment (Numbers 20).

God will always provide freedom and a way out. Open the door! Jesus awaits - - most likely with his ear against the door listening for your knock. And just imagine - you don't even need to fiddle with the phillips screwdriver or the french door handle!