Opened and Closed Doors

    “Why is this happening to me!?” That’s a phrase I used to say a lot and I’m sure you have said it as well. Sometimes we just don’t understand why things happen. When I was younger my problems seemed huge at the time but they really were not. God opened and closed so many doors to things I wanted to do and to, what I considered to be, problems at the time. But these problems were nothing compared to what my family and I faced a few months ago. How did it start? It started with my dad’s trip to Haiti.

     I will not bore you with the whole story. Basically the week went like this: I got home late on Monday because of a meeting and ice, found out mom was at the emergency room with grandma because she had a fractured rib and fluid around her liver, the answering machine broke, I had to stay home to take messages, great aunt went to the hospital because she was not eating right, found out when the funeral was for an x-uncle, and a lady at our church was in the hospital. The lady from church died later the next week.

      Now, any sane person would probably be freaking out by this point. True, I did not have to take care of most of this stuff. My mom took care of it and I took care of my siblings and the house. When I was younger I may have freaked out but I am trying this new thing. It’s called not stressing out and trusting God.

     Throughout my life, and I’m sure throughout yours, God has opened and closed many doors. He has taken away people, things, and abilities I have. Rather than focusing on that, I focus on what he has given me. He gives me opportunities each day to make a difference and give him the glory. He opens doors to people who love me and who need to hear His word. He opened doors to a family who keeps me safe and who gives me what I need.

      True, God does close doors to some things. But, He closes those doors for a reason. He closes doors to, what we consider, good things; and he closes doors to bad things. Think about all the problems in your life. Has God taken those away? Maybe He hasn’t, but maybe what you think is a bad thing is actually a good thing. We can never understand what God is doing, but we know that He does what He does for our good.

       God opens and closes doors to many things in our lives. It may be difficult to walk through or past those doors; but, if we trust God then we will never walk alone.

       Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”