When a Door Opens…

…it doesn’t necessarily mean you should walk through it.

Say what?!

I know. That’s the opposite of what we’ve been told, right? If a door opens, you walk through it! Actually, you should run! No questions asked. No hesitation. No delay. Because you never know when the door will close. Hurry up! Get on through that door…

Whoa, hang on! Actually, that’s not true. I believe open doors are sometimes put in our lives to test us. Open doors don’t necessarily HAVE to be entered nor intended for us to enter. There are times when entering that open door may very well be a very bad step in the wrong direction. Some doors mysteriously open on their own, almost in a way to swallow you whole. Can anyone relate to this sensation?

Why am I even talking about this??

Various opportunities come along that range from humble requests to spectacular propositions. I had one of the latter offered to me last year and almost immediately, I knew it wasn’t God’s will for me. Now getting my heart to agree and not yearn after something not meant for me is another story, but I digress. When I relayed this situation to one of my songwriting friends, she asked me how I knew that particular open door wasn’t God’s will for me. It was a fair question, because in all honesty, the offer was something that dreams are made of. I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t been tempting. It sure was. And that’s why I was so glad I knew God’s will for me, because as much as my flesh wanted that dream, I wanted God’s best for me more and whenever I thought about the amazing opportunity, the peace of God would disappear … poof … like a magic trick with that puff of smoke.

And that’s one of the ways I knew it wasn’t God’s will. That perfect peace that settles and quiets us, the peace that makes us feel secure … that peace would always leave when I contemplated walking through that open door. My husband felt somewhat unsettled as well and you don’t have to be married long to understand that God gives us a partner to help us make those difficult decisions when we, ourselves, may not be the most objective. He had some questions that I hadn’t thought to ask and points that helped me look more objectively at the whole thing. I also sought the counsel of another trusted songwriting friend and his advice confirmed what I already knew in my heart to be true. No. This open door wasn’t for me.

And I’m in good company, because another songwriting friend whom I highly value and admire was presented with a tremendous offer (a producer, a label, the works!!), but she prayed about it for three days and at the end of the day, didn’t walk through that open door either. But God is opening something else up for her that is, in my opinion, even more amazing, simply because He is doing it and the story behind it is incredible.

“Foresight will protect you. Understanding will guide you.” Prov. 2:11

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Col. 3:15

Trust the built in alarm that is called “peace” when you’re faced with an open door. If it’s going off with a blaring warning and your heart is not settled, don’t take one step toward that door! Trust the people God has placed in your life who give you wise counsel. They have foresight that you might not have, simply because you just don’t see the bigger picture at the moment. You’re too caught up in the sight of the amazing open door to your dreams, but those wise people see details that present caution, because they’re looking at the door and all the ramifications it contains objectively, not with eyes full of stars like you might be. I’m thankful for the special people in my life who know my dreams, but aren’t afraid to tell me that a certain open door is simply not for me.

Sometimes we don’t understand God’s answer, sometimes His answers go against our reasoning, our deepest desires. But we can trust that God is our Dad and loves us more than we even know. If God is saying “no” to an open door in front of us, we can rest knowing that God knows what is on the other side and that it’s not His best for us. He’s not keeping us from something to punish us, but because He LOVES us. =)

Learning to rest in God’s will,
Adriel