Looking Beyond The Closed Door

I have been walking through an intense season of trust over the last year. My husband was laid off from a very well-paying construction job last June. It threw our already troubled finances into a tail spin. On top of all of that, we were in the process of losing our home. We tried for a year in every way imaginable to work with our mortgage company so that we could keep our home. In the end, we had no other choice but to short sale in order to avoid foreclosure. As we sat last week and signed the papers, I did not really feel anything except numbness. I am still working on allowing God to let me “feel” certain emotions, but that is for another post.

Despite all of these seemingly bad circumstances surrounding my family, I have learned to lean on the Lord more heavily in this season, leaving ALL of my cares in His very capable hands. He has proven time and time again that He IS faithful. His love for me does not change. He promised to never leave me nor forsake me. And He has held true to that promise. Just this week, my family was accepted as the new tenants of a very wonderful home. It is far above all that we could ever hope or imagine. I am overwhelmed at God’s goodness towards me at times. Last night I simply burst out in joyous laughter as I reflected on His great love and provision for my family.

I fully believe that when God closes one door, He always opens another. It does not always come simultaneously with the closed door, but it always comes. Sometimes we can get impatient. We tend to cross our arms, stomp our feet, even whine a little bit. We feel wronged, rejected, unloved and hurt. We sit outside the closed door, banging our head against it, pounding our closed fist on it, as if we think we have the strength to pry it open. But if we will take a moment to ask God to give us eyes to see beyond the closed door, He will show us a glimpse of His plan for our future and we will continue to walk in peace. I have faced a few closed doors over the last year. I could literally hear them slam shut. And although I did not understand, I cried out to God, and believed for other doors to open. I chose to trust God, knowing that He knew the best way for my family.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8-NIV)

Are you standing outside a closed door in your life? If so, take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to give you the ability to look beyond the closed door, into the future that He has for you, one filled with hope, fulfilled dreams and prosperity. He will not fail you.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

16 Responses to Looking Beyond The Closed Door
  1. Amanda
    September 5, 2010 | 4:32 am

    It is so true Barbie… sometimes we don’t want to let go of certain things, because we just can’t see the big picture. It takes stretching of our trust in Him, as our perfect Father, to know AND believe, that He knows what He is doing. Faith is the fruit of these types of trials.

    Glad you were blessed with a nice home… it’s only the beginning I’m sure…

    Bless you!

  2. LaDonna Rae
    September 5, 2010 | 8:04 am

    WOW, isn’t God just awesome and amazing…John says in this life you will have trouble…I know that God has really been working on my Faith in an entirely diffent but just as impactful way….it started with a house fire…The house was struck by lightening and smouldered for 5 hours with me in the house….(long story)there was minimal damagage. Then in April during a routine OBGYN exam, they found “something”….a series of test later and I was told at age 34 I would lose a kidney…(when I went back to the Nyphrologist…he was astounded!!! Nothing that the initial test had shown was there….Then my “boyfriend” whom I have been dating a year, and who has been back from Iraq for 18 months decided to tell me that (without going into a ton of details) what I though we had we don’t….that we are now “just friends” and he’s going to get help with his PTSD and PTSD related addictions, but I can see him and his children whenever I want…the door doesn’t feel closed…it feels like a pause…God reminds me it takes time to reconstruct a life an my own journey back to God took about 3 years, and its barley a month…still I chafe with impatientience…but understand that God’s timing is not my own and that, God goes ahead of me and fights my battles…and if GOD didn’t think I was stround “enough” I wouldn’t be here….which is an awesome thought!! NOT strong, not stong in my own power, but just barley strong enough….

  3. Laura
    September 5, 2010 | 8:22 am

    God is awesome! I was having problems with work and I was ready to quit my job. The people weren’t nice and I was being give more than anyone else. So I too prayed, and asked others to pray. At the time I couldn’t say anything as to why I was asking them to pray, but I found a great job. The company is family oriented and very great! I don’t think it would have happened if I hadn’t asked for prayers and prayed myself.

  4. Faith
    September 5, 2010 | 4:04 pm

    Really needed this today. I can’t say anymore other than that… thanks:)

  5. Sonja
    September 6, 2010 | 8:31 am

    Barbie:

    So many are in the same boat these days during this troubled economy. You are learning so many good things about who REALLY controls our finances, and He is going to continue to lead you guys!

    Thanks for the good sharing!

    Sonja

  6. Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn
    September 6, 2010 | 2:20 pm

    So hard and yet so beautiful to fully rely on Him when things just don’t seem to make any sense at all. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and your story so transparently Barbie, I have been blessed by your words today. <3 Melissa

  7. Noreen
    September 6, 2010 | 3:33 pm

    This is so timely on so many levels. The verses you choose are some of my favorites and my life verse. I pray that He showers your family with abundant blessings, more than you can imagine.
    May you continue to use the giftings He’s given you for His glory.
    Hugs, Noreen

  8. Janet
    September 6, 2010 | 8:11 pm

    What a wonderful post. I think I’ve spent too much time staring at that closed door lately. Thanks for the encouragement to ask God to allow me to look beyond the closed door. Blessings to you and your family.

  9. Barbie
    September 6, 2010 | 8:14 pm

    Thank you ladies! I appreciate your comment love very much!

  10. Alicia The Snowflake
    September 8, 2010 | 9:57 pm

    You are so right my friend! I have stomped my foot over more than one closed door only to feel foolish later because God worked in ways I could not have imagined. His ways are not our ways. And I am so thankful for that. What an amazing God we serve!

  11. Colleen
    September 9, 2010 | 10:36 pm

    Thank you for this. I needed to read this today. This year has been the most difficult year my husband and I have lived through and there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet…the doors keep closing…no, SLAMMING and we’re desperately trying to be patient for God’s timing and open a window for us.

    Thanks for the reminder.

  12. Jeanine
    September 10, 2010 | 9:28 am

    Oh how I wish we could sit down to chat over a cup of coffee! We have similar stories as we too did everything we could in tough times and lay-off to work with our mortgage company only to be sent to pre-foreclosure. We decided to do a short-sale, as well and are now waiting on an offer that has been in the works for several weeks. In finally finding the courage to share our struggles with family (we hid it for a long time), we found a new door opening to us with new possibilities. My in-laws helped us with a new house, two lots down from where we had been living so the kids could stay in the same neighborhood where so many of their friends are. The result is a new-build house, owned by my in-laws that we are leasing to own from them. We love it! This is definitely a case of “when God closes one door He opens another.” Thanks for sharing your story and I hope things are looking brighter for you, too!
    Peace and blessings to your day!
    Jeanine

    • BarbieS
      September 23, 2010 | 11:00 am

      Than you Jeanine for sharing your story here. WOW, isn’t God good. What a miracle He has worked in your life. Praying God is continue to open doors for you and your family!

  13. Patricia
    September 10, 2010 | 11:28 pm

    My husband and I have been struggling and praying to get through a very difficult time in our careers, we own a business ( a home for people with mental health and addiction disorders) that has been very difficult on us emotionally ,and spiritually. I KNOW we were lead here for a reason and that he opened the doors very wide for us to be here now, and God will see us through our trials in his own time, but when times are tough it can be very difficult to remember that…… “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
    I think sometimes we are paying too much attention to banging on our closed door that we don’t pay attention the true blessings that we have. Since the birth of my son I am focusing more on praising the lord everyday, instead of the complaining, crying and whining I have been getting into the habit of doing over the last three years. As long as I have Jesus on my side and the love and support of my family, however things turn out with my current problems, I will still be one Blessed woman! As it sounds from the post and some of the comments you are as well!

    God Bless you and your family as you go through this difficult time, and praise the lord that his strength will carry us through…..

  14. Looking Beyond The Closed Door
    April 28, 2011 | 11:16 pm

    […] tail spin.  On top of all of that, we were in the process of losing our home.   Go here to read the full post. If you don’t already visit 5 Minutes for Faith regularly, I hope that […]

  15. ester
    October 21, 2011 | 1:02 pm

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