Door

Today is my husband’s birthday, so he was on my mind as I thought about today’s prompt of “door”. I remembered a short devotional-type note he had written on Facebook about 4 years ago. So while these free-writes are supposed to be my words, today I’m sharing his, as an encouragement to you (and in honor of his birthday 🙂 ).

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Closed Doors

My youngest daughter Ellie has found a new joy — closing doors. If the bedroom door is open, she closes it. If the bathroom door is open, she closes it. If the gate at the top of the stairs is open, she closes it.

While I take some joy in seeing her practice her new skill, and the happiness it brings her — it also gets her into trouble. You see, she can’t open doors. Several times throughout the day, she will enter a room with me, laughing and having fun. Then she’ll leave, closing all doors off behind her. The problem is that she instantly realizes she would rather be with me then by herself on the outside. So she tries to open it, but can not. Then she cries out “Dada! Dada!”

It reminded me of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, each one of us has sinned, and find ourselves separated from Christ. On our own, we are unable to open the door and enter into fellowship with our Father. Thankfully our father loves us, and sent his son to open the way. Jesus says in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Praise God that he was willing to initiate our relationship with him.

But often, we close doors and find ourselves isolated from Him. Some times purposefully — but often unintentionally. For me, I close doors because I say yes to too many things. In my busyness I find myself trapped. What doors have you closed lately? What keeps you away from your Father? Is it time to cry out “Abba!”?

Jesus also says in Matthew 7 “…Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Take a moment — acknowledge the fact that the door is closed, and you can’t open it on your own. Cry out to him, and when he opens the door, ask him “Up?” as my Ellie does. Be held in his arms again.

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(Ellie was about 18 months old at the time, and currently my youngest is almost 20 months old — but her favorite thing is opening doors. Maybe I’ll ask my husband to write something about that… 😀 )

 

31Days of Five Minute Free Writes is a participation in Write31Days, which takes place every October. See the rest of my craft-practicing posts linked up here.