What are you looking at?

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; 

but often we look so long at the closed door 

that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

Helen Keller

What we look at shapes our reality.

This is particularly true when it comes to living a life of joy or sorrow.

As Helen Keller shares, the human tendency is to stare at the closed doors of life until we are depressed and despondent that the door is closed.  We become consumed with the question of "Why did God allow this to happen?"  This becomes our driving influence.

I find that the answer to this "why" question is rarely solved by staring at the closed door.  A much better question to ask is, "Lord, what are you trying to say to me?"  Follow this up with true humility by stating, "Here I am Lord, your servant is listening."

In my limited experience, the "why" question is only answered after we walk through the open door to a better place.  Then, the "why" question is not really that important.  It is apparent, but no longer a driving influence.

A second quote follows up on these observations.  It comes from Dan Miller's website, www.48days.com from the February 22, 2012 post.  This selection is a storyline I have heard often.  I will let it speak for itself.  I will say that I believe it overlaps perfectly with the Keller quotation because so often as the door is shutting, we keep banging our heads against it demand that it open as we wish.  Where does God fit into such actions?

Here is Miller's post.

Last Sunday night, after speaking at a church, a lady approached me with her question. She was obviously very discouraged with low self-esteem, poor eye contact and overall weak personal presentation.  But her question was – “Why should I keep trying when God keeps closing the door on my calling?”  Wow – now there’s a question designed to stump even a theologian – which I am not.  If God “calls” us to something, wouldn’t He open the doors to make that happen?  Is this like asking if God can make a rock so big He can’t move it?

Frankly, I don’t think her question is that complicated.  I think she needs to take a fresh look at her “calling.”  She said she’s always wanted to be a counselor.  She got a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then was rejected from entering graduate school in counseling.  So she spent three years and went deeply in debt to get her Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, thinking that would open the door.  She then applied for the graduate counseling program again but was rejected once more.  She took an entry level job with a community counseling agency but was let go after a couple of months.  She told me she has never married, lives alone and has few friends.  I asked her if people were coming to her for her advice and opinion now.  To which she replied – No – that’s why she needed the degrees in counseling.

I think this is a mis-interpretation of “calling.”  If God’s calls us to something there will be affirmation of that in many ways.  If God is calling you to be a musician you will likely already have shown talent in that area and have lots of people telling you to move in that direction.  If God is calling you to counsel or coach, I’m confident people are already telling you their problems and you are surprised by the wisdom you are frequently able to offer.

Yes I do think it requires work and struggle to be effective even in our “calling.”  But I don’t think God “calls” us to something that does not line up with our passions, talents, personality traits and dreams.

– Thomas Merton said:

 “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him….  The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him….” 

Don’t try to be a rose bush (as good as that may be) if you’re a tree.  Be a great tree.

So often God closes doors because He loves us so much that He wants to help us grow into the person He made us to be.  I find that life can subtly shape us away from the person we are so that we fit into the changing situation.  Often the door closes because God is preparing to reshape us back to our natural inclinations.

So, when the door closes, ask the Lord, "What are you trying to say to me?"  Come back to your passions, talents, personality traits, and dreams.  Ask the Lord how these overlap with what is happening.  Ask for wisdom to see the doors He is opening.

Then, when God gives you insight into how who you are overlaps with an emerging opportunity, don't be afraid to move forward.

Why?

God uses it all.  He also will use you, as you are shaped and formed, to achieve His glory.  

What doors has God opened to you?  Why are you afraid to walk through them?