For the second time this week I’ve heard about or been involved in the inconvenience of being locked out. We’ve all no doubt imagined walking outside in our pj’s only to hear the dreaded sound behind us of the door closing, locking us out.
What to do now? Do you jump the fence risking inpaling yourself on the pickets, rattle every window and door to only realise you have terrible break in skills, pray someone comes, or try the neighbors and call a locksmith, hoping they don’t notice your pj’s.
Its amazing when you think of it how many locks and keys we are faced with opening everyday. Cars locks, bike locks, houses and door locks, places of employment, lockers, security codes, computers, phones, the list goes on.
In actual fact life is full of locks and keys. There are keys to unlock equations in maths and science, keys to language and the written word, keys and combinations which help us reach our health and fitness goals. Keys to happy, healthy relationships, keys to parenting, keys to good communication, etc etc etc.
The thing is to have the wisdom to know which key opens which door. As a friend of mine says, “small keys open big doors”. It is often the small keys in life that open the door to the greatest possibilities and opportunities. I’m discovering that God will lead us to the right key to enable us to step through the correct doors. Unlike our “locked out” scenario’ we don’t have to climb fences, stand freezing in the rain, or risk injury and humiliation to access keys to our future.
Jesus simply says, “Come and sit with me; read my words found in my book the bible, wait, and listen, and I’ll show you which key opens the right door. No stressing, no striving; just trust, rest and then doing what He says.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)
“This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17)
Next time you aren’t sure which way to go, or you feel like no matter which way you turn there is only locked doors, don’t go running around in a panic. Stop, and ask Jesus what key you should use to unlock the correct door. Sometimes that can be a spiritual key like prayer, praise, giving, and forgiveness. Or it can be a very practical key, like study this, or take that, or go and see such and such. Usually our keys are found both in the spiritual and the physical.
However the key I have discovered that seems to open many doors is to stop worrying and getting into a fluster, seek God and then go and do what He says. As my wise friend says, “small keys open big doors”.