How “Closed Doors” Can Lead To Limitless Possibilities!

I know, I know.  It hurts.

A closed door–one that you thought would lead you to a desired end–feels A LOT like rejection.  And rejection HURTS.

When the door closes, it can trigger other feelings such as abandonment, loneliness, shame, guilt and sadness.  And while these feelings are bad enough to deal with–the body will begin to register the pain, as well.  Anything from a loss of appetite to headaches to stomach issues…ALL as a result of an opportunity that never came to pass.

But closed doors have a ministry.   If allowed, they can prompt us to move. on.  And by doing so, this symbolic “no” (or “not yet”) can guide us towards something greater than what we originally thought we wanted.  A closed door can lead us to more than what we ever dreamed was possible…if only we would be willing to relinquish our hold on what we think is best in exchange for our Heavenly Father’s better plan.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says: For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I am certainly no stranger to the painful effects of a door that closes only to leave behind a flood of gut-wrenching emotions to process through.

In 2006, I lost my childhood home in NYC to a court ruling that rendered me unable to maintain succession rights to a beautiful apartment on the East Side that I had called home from a young age.  Forced to move away from everything familiar, I chose to move out of state to a place where I only knew two people and was forced to rebuild my life.  Oh, and did I mention that I didn’t know how to drive?!? Ughhh. It was a daunting task that–hindsight being 20/20–left me grateful that our Heavenly Father rarely shows us all of the details that lie ahead of a call beyond the borders of our comfort zone.

Yet, had I not lost my home, I would never have realized the resilience lying dormant within my soul.  I would never have realized the strength that I possessed.  I may never have come to understand WHY He made me the way He made me: strong and brave.  I might never have come to the place where I’d be sitting here typing a bit of my story. 

Yes. Sometimes our greatest losses can lead us to tremendous blessings!

And yes, closed doors have a ministry–just like the open ones.  In my new place of dwelling, I have now experienced things, and developed in wonderful ways, that may NEVER have happened had I not trusted God enough to JUMP!

And just to end the story of the loss of my home: during one of my exploratory visits to this new state, I had an encounter with a woman who randomly began to sing over me: Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say: it is well, it is well, with my soul.  God used this stranger to quiet my fear of the unknown with His Love.

Horatio Stafford wrote the words to the song “It Is Well” as he passed by the place where his children had died in a shipwreck.  I’ll never stop being in awe of his response to yet another tragedy. But Stafford clearly recognized a Kingdom principle that I’m learning to embrace: loss can lead to liberty, life and love–if God is in it…and if we’re willing to trust Him.

Will you allow the Spirit of God to lead you beyond your borders into a realm of endless possibilities?