my life feels like an open door (not the same thing as being an open book).  what I mean by this is that people seem to continuously come and go, in and out of my life.  So maybe revolving door would be a better description of what I experience. Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?  (isn’t that a song title?)  But you get what I’m feeling, right?

Seems like I just get attached to a person, let them in, create a space for them in my life and in my heart – and then poof  they are gone.  Leaving behind an empty space that will remain that way, always hopeful for their return.  Hence the word revolving. There are partings and there are reunions.  Both are a part of this open door policy I have.

When parting is too painful, I often consider adopting a closed door policy.  I will let no one in and let no one out.  No one will get too close to me and so gain access to my heart.  “No more empty spaces!”,  I promise myself.  Funny thing about a closed door, it may keep people from entering in, but it doesn’t seem to stop them from leaving.  Death, disagreements, misunderstandings, moving away for a job; these somehow find their way through the closed door, letting my loved ones leave my life.

Living life with an open hand, open heart, open door policy is not for the faint of heart.  It requires risk.  To open my hand, I have to let go of what I am holding onto so tightly.  It is the only way my hands will be ready to receive what God wants to give me today.  I have to turn my clenched fists into open palms, extended outward, facing upward – empty of yesterday’s burdens and regrets, ready to receive today’s manna from God’s hand.  Just what I need for today.  No more and no less.  Just what my open hands can hold for now.  Nothing I have to hang onto.  I can share it, I can give it away.  This leaves room to receive more from God that can flow right through my spread out fingers onto others.  That’s the beauty of an open hand.

I need an open heart to go along with my open hands.  This means people will be entering and exiting my life often, leaving well worn paths across my heart and empty spaces in their wake when they leave.  Joy and pain taking turns, vying for position.  Some days the former has the upper hand, some days the latter.  If I close my heart to one of them, my heart is closed to the other also.  I must accept both joy and pain, the comings and the goings.  It is for me to keep their empty spaces open, ready to receive them gladly, if perchance they should return.  That is the beauty of an open heart.

An open door not only allows people access, it invites them in.  It says you are welcome here for as long as you like.  The open door says you are not a prisoner here, you can leave anytime you like.  The open door is not afraid of loss.  It knows that is the price paid for the privilege of knowing someone who enters in at the open door; only to later leave by that same open door.  The door that is always open to those who would enter, must be equally open to those who would exit.  I must learn to cherish well those who come in and those who go out. That is the beauty of an open door.

My open door policy often leaves me reeling, probably because of how often people come and go.  I crave more consistency.  And I have found that consistency in One who asked to enter into my life and my heart, has made His home with me and has never left.  Jesus doesn’t change and He doesn’t enter my life only to exit it. Even with my open door policy, Jesus has come to stay.  In fact, because of Him I can live my life with open hands, an open heart and an open door.

Jesus is the model for my open door policy.  In fact, He is the open door.  In John 10:9 Jesus tells me, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  That’s a life giving, life sustaining, open door.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8)

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’ ”  (John 14:23)

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”  (Revelation 3:20)

God’s word also tells me in Hebrews 3:7, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, . . . “.    A closed heart, closed door policy shuts God out and shuts me off from all He has planned for me.  I need to loosen my clenched fists’ grip on the things of this world and live with open hands, an open heart and an open door.  It’s not a pain free policy, but it is a policy providing freedom and joy in abundant measure.

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I confess, I’m a planner.  To this end, I have purchased plenty of planners over the years.  But if truth be told, I don’t think they did me much good.  I mean, much of what I have planned for (or worried about) over the years, has never come to pass while so much of what has actually taken place in my life have been things I never planned for or saw coming.  So much for all my time spent planning.  (or worrying) No wonder Matthew 6:27 says, “Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

In fact, planning is not just an American or western thing – I think it’s a people thing.  We all like to make our plans.  It makes us feel in charge.  Planning gives us the illusion of control over our lives.

We make plans for everything.  We make travel plans, financial plans, educational plans, family plans, game plans, battle plans, lesson plans, emergency plans, contingency plans . . . we call those plan B or a back-up plan.  (and then we make a back-up plan for our back-up plan)  We even have “planning meetings” whose sole purpose is not to actually do anything, but solely to make plans to do something at a later date.  We plan our future endeavors, events and directions for our workplaces, our churches, our volunteer organizations, our neighborhoods, and our communities.

Planning has even become a way to make a living.  Yes, planning can be a career choice.  We have travel agencies whose people plan trips for other people, event planners, wedding planners, funeral planners, financial planners, fitness planners (we call them trainers) diet planners, life planners (we call them “life coaches” and we hire them to help us make a “plan” for our lives).  Developers plan out our neighborhoods and our communities while insurance salesmen help us to plan for everything that could possibly happen to us, our health, our home, our car, our pets, etc.  It seems that everything we own has a warranty but we are always advised to extend or to get warranties for everything in order to “plan” for their breakdown.

Planning may be more than just an American pastime, it could be an American obsession and it is definitely big business.  Still much of my own personal planning seems to be for naught.  For example, this week I was scheduled to read my book to children at a local library.  I showed up at the appointed time but as they say “the best laid plans . . .”.   My first clue came before I even entered the library.  I found myself holding the door open for a person from the zoo who was wheeling in a cart full of various small animals.  Sure enough when I got inside and made contact with the person who had “planned” my reading time, I found that she had double booked the room and the time slot with the children.

Needless to say, my plans were changed in that instant.  Now changes in plans are not always a bad thing.  I am rescheduled to read on another day when a therapy dog will be visiting.  The children will enjoy the dog while listening to the story. This sounds like a lot of fun to me and I am looking forward to this new opportunity which this “change in plans”  has brought to me.  This is just another reminder to me, that even when I have a good plan, God often has a better one.

Still, I persist in making my plans even though I make them just to have them fall through, fall apart, be changed, broken, re-arranged, re-scheduled or be cast aside, thrown out, never to materialize at all.  It’s then the reality of these words hits home with me.  “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  (Proverbs 19:21)  or “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”  (Psalm 33:11)

My plans don’t usually hold up, but God’s plans do.  I can rely on that.  God said in Isaiah 46:10,  “I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ ”   And I can take comfort in that fact as well.  When my best laid plans fall through or fall short of my expectations, I can know that God’s plans (including His plans for me) are not thwarted and are better for me than anything I could have planned for myself.

I trust His promise in Jeremiah 29:11, ” ‘For I know the plans 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 just need to remember and to trust that God’s plans are better than my plans; and that God’s plans for me are better than my plans for me.  Instead of being upset, I can be glad when I don’t get my own way (that sounds counter intuitive) knowing that God is in control and that His plans are better than any plans I could come up with on my own.

Job 5:12 says of God, “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.  He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.”

Psalm 33:10 says, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.”

We experience this reality in our everyday lives.  Architects make up their plans to build the home, the church, the store, the arena, the skyscraper etc. but “Unless the Lord builds the house, its’ builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”  (battle plan?)

Our politicians wage their war of words, executing their strategies, making their battle plans as the next election approaches.  They are all about plans and planning.  All their time and effort is spent in formulating a plan that they believe will get them elected.  Then they seek to woo us with their promised, glorious plans of what they plan to do for us once they are elected.  Again, men making their plans while in Daniel we read, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His.  He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:20-21)

Or consider the rich man in the gospel of Luke.  He had a plan, a life plan and it seemed like a good one to him.  (I wonder who his life coach was?)  Here’s his story, “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do?  I have no place to store my crops.’  Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘  But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’  (now I’m wondering if he had a good financial planner?)

A financial planner who would give him good advice like this found in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Old habits are hard to break.  I may continue to make my plans, but at least I can rest in the knowledge that my Heavenly Father will correct my steps and direct my paths.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  (Proverbs 16:9)

Let me pray along with Jeremiah, “I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.  Correct me, Lord, but only with justice – not in Your anger, lest You reduce me to nothing.”  (Jeremiah 10:23-24)

finally, Heavenly Father,  grant that I would trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; that I would acknowledge You in all my ways so that You can make my paths straight.   (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I like knowing that it is You, Lord, who determines and directs my steps.  I am not all that good of a planner anyway.

sincerely,          Grace Day