If we're honest with ourselves, most of us have a game plan, so to speak, for our lives. We know what we want to do when we get out of school, when we want to be married, how many kids we want, etc. But what do you do when a door is shut in your master path of life and you're stuck in the hallway? Your life is going great and things are moving along as planned when all of a sudden something occurs and BOOM, plan averted. You feel like the world might be ending or you don't know where to turn next. Trust me, it isn't the end of the world.
I don't know if you've ever heard this quote, but it's been a stable in my life recently: "Until God opens the next door for you, praise Him in the hallway." That's right, you praise Him in the hallway. But how do you praise Him when you want to be angry and frustrated because your plans are ruined?
1. Pray
Philippians 4:6 states, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Communication always draws you deeper in a relationship and there is something special and liberating about kneeling before the Father and pouring your heart out to Him, especially when you are broken and hurting. I have found myself in this position before without words to even say but before I even knew what hit me, I was just weeping on my face and pouring my heart out: the good, bad, and the ugly. The Lord wants us to be real and open with Him. So pray, fall to your knees, and pour out your heart to Him.
2. Surrender
Now this one can be difficult because we want to hold onto ourselves and what WE want rather than what HE wants. There is a reason for every closed door in life and at the time, you may not realize it but closed doors are a sign of protection from the Lord himself as He protects his children from whatever may be behind said door. Surrendering is something I had to work on for a long time because in my mind, I expected to keep on going through my plan and just ignore what the Lord was trying to tell me with the closing of the door but as I did that, I found myself in an even bigger mess with more pain, confusion, and being lost. So you reach a point, even though it is hard, to let go of what "beautiful" picture you have painted in your head of what you want your life to be like and you will come to realize that the Lord has a MAGNIFICENT plan for you, far greater than anything you could ever imagine.
3. Heavenly Eyes
Having heavenly eyes, what does that mean? Colossians 3:2-3 says, "Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." As believers who have died to self, we are called to set our minds on the things above: our heavenly home. Earthly things don't truly matter. This is our temporary home. So yes, we want to have a good life here, but we also don't live here on earth with the goal of pleasing ourselves and others. Our lives are to be pleasing to the Lord and to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. So as you're praying and surrendering and turning over your plan, focus your eyes on the Father and trust that He has so many great plans for you not only here on Earth, but also realize that there is a greater place you will be one day.
Having your plans wrecked and doors being shut hurts, I know. There have been times where I feel like God has literally slammed the door in my face, and boy did I get mad. But looking back now, I can honestly see His protection through that closed door. That doesn't mean that it gets any easier, but it does mean that God has a plan and I can attest to that. My hope and prayer is that through this you will see that praising Him in the hallway is just as important as walking through a door that He opens. It may feel like an eternity to you before the next door is opened, but His ways are far greater than ours.
Praise Him in the hallway. I promise the Lord will prevail and the outcome will be something you never imaged was even possible.
