A recent conversation with a young woman that I know very well, led me to write about doors. More importantly, what scripture tells us about doors and how the door to God is always open despite our earthly closed door encounters.
You see, her story goes as such…
She and her boyfriend, both young adults and trying to find their way to God reached out to a local church office. They had both been attending church together, but were splitting weekends for each other. You see, she was raised Catholic. He was raised in a non-denomination church. They were trying to work together to find which “religion” was meant for them. They rotated visiting each other’s church every weekend. They were looking to the future. Regardless of the “religion,” church, scripture and their faith were important to them and something they wanted in their future together.
Well, as the story goes, the girl reached out to one of the church offices. During the conversation, she expressed both her boyfriend’s and her desire to be more involved in the church and wanted to explore this opportunity. They wanted to learn more, have a better understanding and be truly involved in the church they would attend. They wanted to grow their faith together at the same place. They wanted to see if this is where they belonged.
The conversation was rather short and to the point. The “office lady” preceded to ask a serious of questions. “Is your boyfriend Catholic? Does he plan on converting?” You see, she knew the young woman. She had seen her at church and had taught her in religious education classes growing up, but she did not know anything about the “boyfriend” and his religious upbringing. So, I guess these were significant questions that needed to be answered in order to help the young couple out.
The answers were not what the “office lady” was looking to hear. No, he was not Catholic and at this very moment they both were in a discernment place. He could not answer, “yes,” to conversion to Catholicism without knowing what the faith was all about. They weren’t calling because he wanted to convert, they were calling because they needed help in this discernment process. They were looking to learn through fellowship.
“Well, everything we have here is for people who go to church here and are Catholics,” said the “office lady.
DOORS CLOSED!
Have you ever been somewhere you felt uninvited, unwelcomed or unwanted. That is the very exact feeling that this couple felt.
DOORS CLOSED!
When a door is closed, you cannot reach or see what is on the other side. You can hear something or someone, but you cannot reach it. If the door is closed, you are redirected.
That is what happened in this couple’s case. They were redirected. A redirection can make you give up completely or seek a new path, a new direction. A path free of closed doors. This couple looked for a different path.
If you ever feel unwanted, unwelcomed or uninvited to learn more about Christ and faith, stop! Do not walk away. Do not give up. That is not God sending you away. God has a door open for you. Perhaps, God is redirecting you. Perhaps, something is trying to keep you from God.
I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.
Revelations 3:8
God tells us that our door to Him is always open. No one can close that door.
Sometimes, when a door is closed, you may just have to put in a little more effort and find your way in through a window!
You may also want to read: One Truth That Will Help You When God Closes a Door on the blog, Faith Spilling Over.
I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David, what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open! Isaiah 22:22.