“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. [Matthew 7:7-8]
Is the door opening or closing?
Several months ago I was invited to present two workshops in Houston during the first week in November. The conference offered a forum to discuss disability issues from my seated perspective. I anticipated an exciting opportunity to leverage my experiences and help others who seek to expand their work in difficult situations.
I’ve worked hard to prepare high-quality presentations. Then last week I was notified that my workshops were canceled. Nothing personal, the conference was just scaled back because of lagging registrations.
I was disappointed and frustrated. This seemed like an ideal chance to share my message with folks who might benefit, and I felt like I had some worthwhile ideas to contribute.
I also felt some selfish disillusionment. It’s difficult for an unknown author to gain traction, and this felt like a significant opportunity lost. I began to question whether I’d made a mistake by devoting so much time and energy to a new career path. Perhaps this was intended as a sign that I was headed in the wrong direction.
Then I received a call, totally out of nowhere, inviting me to Spartanburg, S.C. to tape a half-hour interview for an internationally syndicated television show called Time For Hope.
It sounded like a pretty good fit, since hope is a central theme of my message. I checked the website and read a list of previous guests that included a U.S. Senator, college presidents and professors, and well-known writers.
Wow—this show features nationally-known leaders, authors, and scholars, and they want to talk to me? Since the interview date—November 5—was less than a week away, I assume that there was a last-minute cancelation. But that’s how opportunities arise; the key is to be prepared and available.
And that’s the amazing part. I’d planned to be in Houston that weekend. If those workshops hadn’t fallen through, I might have lost this new opportunity.
One door closes—another opens.
Someday I’ll learn that this isn’t my thing. It’s not my story, my message, my book, my path. Someday I’ll remember that none of this belongs to me, that I’m just a steward.
Someday I’ll remember to hold it all in open hands and trust that God knows what He’s doing.
Someday I’ll live as though I really believe:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28]
One door closes—another opens.
That’s always the way it works. Someday I’ll stop asking, “Why?” and instead be prepared to roll through the doors God’s opening.
What doors seem closed right now? What others are opening?
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