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09 04 2007, 7:24 pm / Other
"Open or Closed"
When you open your door, what is your intention? Do you open the door to circulate some fresh air? Do you open the door to let the sun shine in? Doyou open the door to better hear the birds singing? Do you open the door to welcome others?
When you close your door, what is your intention? Do you close the door to keep out the rain and storms? Do you close the door to keep out the bugs and mosquitoes? Do you close the door to retain the warmth of the inside? Do you close the door to hide?
I'm sure you can think of many other reasons to either open or close door. Most of the time doors are open to let things come in! Most of the time doors are closed to keep things out! Open doors make us vulnerable to the outside, while closed door protect us from the outside.
Just take a few minutes to think of other reasons why we open or close doors. The door we are talking about is a physical door, however the door to our hearts works the same way.
It is human nature to open our hearts to the good stuff. It is human nature to open our hearts to the sunshine. It is human nature to open our hearts and venture out unprotected when things are good. It is human nature not to judge when things are on track.
However, it is also human nature to close our hearts to the "not-so-good" stuff. It is human nature to close our hearts to the things we don't understand. It is human nature to close our hearts from the coldness beyond the door. It is human nature to close our hearts for protection from things unknown. It is human nature to judge others when ripples appear above and beneath the surface of the water.
But, what is God Nature? God Nature is an open door to an open heart, a door where the spring is broken and the door remains permanently ajar, allowing entry to everybody. God Nature is accepting people for who they are without judgment along with the storms they bring with them. God Nature
is not to pick and choose who can enter or when they can enter through the open door. God Nature is letting God keep the door open no matter what the outside environment brings, whether it be sunshine and smooth sailing or whether it be hurricanes with high winds.
Is your door open to your neighbor with hungry and dirty children or is your door closed so you don't feel guilty when you sit down to supper. Is your door open to people who are un-experienced in the ways of the church or is your door closed because you expect more from them. Is your door open to
your brother and sister in Christ who is hurting emotionally or is you door closed because you don't quite see eye to eye with them.
I am ashamed to say that I am one of those people who open and close the door based on the circumstances on the other side of it. Is our door always open? Jesus never closed His door, not even to His betrayer and neither should we.
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