The Cracked Door

Imagine for a moment that you have inherited an old house, something that has been in your family for generations. It is a house you have not visited in the past and have seen only old photos of it, the faded black-and-white kind. Now is it yours. You have received a set of keys in the mail along with directions on how to get there and a title with your name on it. With a mixture of trepidation and eagerness, at least a small amount of it, you set out on the quest to visit this dubious surprise which was left to you by an unknown relative.

Think old Southern mansion, with the tall white columns, wrap around porch, old dirt driveway winding up through the trees. The paint is cracked and faded, a couple of windows have plywood instead of glass, and it is definitely less than inviting on the first look. When you look through the dirty windows, you half expect to see a ghost or two coming down the staircase to greet you at the door. So, what you do is put that key into the lock, twist it, and push on the door. It opens, but just a crack. Here is your opportunity to get inside, to see what is waiting for you, and the door is barely open and won't budge any further. What you do next will determine whether you discover what trash or treasures are waiting for you inside.

As I am sure you have figured out, the mansion is life. It is full of surprises, good and bad, and just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize you don't. Some surprises are good ones, like gifts for Christmas or your birthday. Others are not so nice, like the pink slip you received when you held that dream job that was going to last all the way to retirement. So, what next, you ask? Maybe it depends on who you ask. Maybe the "who" is God, the creator of all surprises. The trick is recognizing the answer and deciding what you are going to do with it.

Many times when we ask God for something, we have a specific something in mind. Just because it is in our mind, does not mean it is also in God's mind. Sometimes what God gives us is an opportunity. Like that stuck door above, it is up to us to figure out the opportunity and then to pry open that door. Sometimes God's plan comes in several steps or stages and we just have to figure them out or to take advantage of them, even when we don't recognize them for what they are. Many years ago, I told God the kind of woman I wanted to marry. I had in mind what she should look like, her personality, and other characteristics. No one I was dating at the time fit into that mold. So, I told God what I had in mind and asked for his help. Some time after that, I was laid off from my job. After months of looking and interviewing, I landed a job with a government contractor and shortly after starting, I had to go to a conference in San Diego. I thought about whom I still knew there and came up with a couple I hadn't talked to in years, so I called them just to say hello. When the lady answered the phone, she told me they had separated. So, I suggested we get together. We did. One thing led to another and 11 months later to the day, we were married. She was just the lady I had asked God to find for me! He cracked opened the door for the opportunity for us to get back together and I pried it open to find the treasure behind.

All too often, we ask God for something and expect it to come completely assembled and gift wrapped. In my experience, it doesn't usually happen that way. God offers the opportunity and it is up to me to see it and take advantage of it. Sometimes I have seen it and other times I have not, usually to my misfortune. I am sure you have had the same experience of asking and not seeing the cracked open door he has created. He doesn't usually put a big sign out there with an arrow pointing the way.

What are you asking for? What are you expecting God to give to you or do to you? Are you ready for his response? Are you ready for the unexpected answer? Remember, he operates on his rules, not ours, and he knows the best way to give the best things and opportunities to you. It is up to you to accept his gifts.