Closed Doors

I have found through experience that when a child closes a door, there is usually something going on behind the door that they want to hide.  It was funny that this happened today after I read a blog post that specifically addressed closing doors in the home.  As I was putting on my face for the day, I heard my bedroom door softly click shut.  I tiptoed out from my bathroom, passed through my bedroom, and gently opened the door.  I found my 4-year-old Grace on the floor in the hallway, immersed in a bowlful of decorative rocks that she KNEW were a no-no. 

Isn’t life like that, too?  Perhaps we close an emotional door, refusing to open up and grow a relationship with another person out of fear or shame.  Perhaps we close a spiritual door, refusing to seek fellowship with God because we are holding on to sin in our heart.  Perhaps we close a physical door, shutting out others from witnessing things we say or do that we wish to keep secret.

The good news is that we have a gracious and forgiving Heavenly Father who wants to open our doors and come inside our hearts.  In Revelation 4:20-21, we are taught that Christ says,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

May God grant us the strength to open our physical, emotional, and spiritual doors!  As a practical application, I made a new rule this morning for our daughter:  all doors remain open unless we close them for matters of modesty.  I am hoping that this will foster a spirit of accountability and fellowship.  Of course there will be times when someone in our household will desire alone-time.  Boundaries can be taught and enforced that guarantee moments to ourselves.  The key, I believe, is to grant isolation (if desired) in moderation without the physical barrier of a closed door and all that it represents.