At Christmas my daughters and I put this puzzle together. It was challenging enough to be fun and we finished it in just a few days. Looking at all those doors prompted my mind to think about what may be behind those doors.
We have a new year ahead of us. There will be new experiences, new friends, new problems, new opportunities, and new obstacles. Each new day is like opening another door and stepping into whatever is on the other side. We cannot see ahead of time what lies beyond the door but thank God He is faithful and will walk through every door with us.
Later, as I reflected on the idea of all those doors, I thought maybe the doors represent “opportunities”. Maybe it is up to me to decide which door to choose. Some of the doors were painted with bright colors and adorned with flowers. Others looked a bit drab and uninviting. Some doors required walking up steps to reach them while others were street level.
This past year I took time to take a few meals to someone I didn’t know very well. She had broken her leg and was in a cast for quite some time. I would drop off a meal, spend a few minutes talking with her, and after several weeks we were becoming the best of friends. She now goes to church with me, and we enjoy our time spent together. If I had not stepped through the door and prepared a little extra food for someone who needed help, I would not have a new friend!
I have always been a bit of an introvert. Hmmm. Okay, I’m a lot introvert. It’s hard for me to step into new ventures on my own. How many wonderful opportunities have I missed because of my fears? Perhaps many. Not knowing what’s on the other side of the door can be scary.
And then there’s the decision about which door or opportunity to choose. We can’t choose them all. Do we choose based on how inviting or attractive it is? Do we choose based on how easy or hard it may be to go through the door? As a Christian I know God provides ways we can serve Him. He is at work in this world and wants us to join Him in His work. It takes faith and much prayer to serve where God wants us to be. He gives us opportunities of service. He opens doors for us to walk through. Will we follow His leading? Even if it’s difficult and uninviting will we be faithful?
“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me”
(1 Corinthians 16:8-9).