You’ve probably heard the saying before that “When God closes one door, He opens another.” You’ve probably got it cross stitched on a pillow somewhere in your house. This saying is meant to explain how God directs our steps and sends us in a direction that is beneficial for us and locks away the bad things. While this saying is cute and positive, I do not think that it is a totally accurate representation of how God works sometimes.
In my personal life, I think that very often I have experienced God closing lots of doors in my life but there isn’t always an open door to replace it. Especially in my life right now, it seems that God has closed every door and I am left completely enclosed in a room. The room has no windows, so I have no peeks ahead or direction on what next steps I should take. I am left in a quiet room, all by myself.
For a while, I really struggled to reconcile this image I had in my head of my solitude and what I know to be true about God. God promises to never leave or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). God promises to direct my steps (Proverbs 16:9). God promises to be my refuge, strength, and help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). If all of these things are true, then why do I feel so alone and unclear on where to go?
Then I remembered a time when a pretty famous group of Christians were feeling exactly the same way as I am feeling right now. Right after Jesus was crucified, the disciples gathered together. Their teacher had just been killed. Not only were they unclear on what their next steps should be, but they were afraid for their lives. As they gathered together, they kept the doors locked because they were frightened. But then something amazing happened. Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of the terrified disciples and said, “Peace be with you!”
Just when the disciples thought they were all alone, just when the disciples thought their futures were hopeless, that is exactly when Jesus chose to appear in that lonely, enclosed room. I believe that the same is true for the locked room I feel that I am in right now. Jesus is there in the midst of it with me, waiting to open a new door for me. But for now, I am just to wait in this room and be patient for this new door to be built.
