When I was a little girl, I loved to doorbell-ditch. Quietly, I would creep up to the front door of an unsuspecting friend or neighbor’s house, knock on their front door, or ring their doorbell and skedaddle. The object of the game was to get the person inside the house to open their front door and discover no one there.
To a ten-year old, this is loads of fun, to an adult not so much.
God’s Word says, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 NIV
The Lord wants us to ask Him for things. He uses the analogy of knocking on His door, and then reminds us that when we do the knocking He does the opening.
Is there something you’ve been asking the Lord for? Does it feel like you’ve been asking forever? God’s time is not our time. When He puts something on our heart, our job is to ask, seek, and knock. When what we’re asking lines up with His will, in His good and perfect time, He opens the door wide for us to walk through.
For years, I’ve been knocking on His door with my prayers. Lord, I have a desire to write a book for moms. I must be crazy to even ask you for this, since I don’t know the difference between a hanging participle and a hanging plant. If this book is not what you have purposed for me to do, please take this desire away from me. But, if writing this book is in your will for my life, please open the door of publication wide open.
Have you ever asked the Lord for something, and the minute He gave you the green light and began to open doors, you ran? I can see Him opening a door for me and if I stopped to think about how I’m not qualified, or count all the reasons I am not worthy, I want to run too.
Except, I don’t want to doorbell-ditch God.
God has a plan and a purpose for each child He creates. Until the end of time, He has a job to do and invites His beloved children along to accomplish His plans. For those of us who feel unable for the task, that’s OK. It’s exactly where we need to be, because when we are weak He is strong. When we know we can’t do it ourselves it’s God who gets all the glory, as it should be.
This week, nestled inside the most beautiful FedEx envelope I’ve ever laid my eyes on, I received my very first publishing contract from Beacon Hill Press. After going over the details with my literary agent, Rachelle Gardner, it’s official. A 50,000 word manuscript is due in the hands of their publishers in five months.
My nonfiction book, The Radical Sabbatical – How To Journey From Busy to Blessing is becoming a reality.
The Lord has flung a door wide open. Like that little girl who loved to doorbell-ditch, I want to bolt right off of God’s front porch.
But, Lord, I don’t know how to write a book. I’m not sure exactly where to put commas or apostrophes. I don’t have a degree in English, remember? What was I thinking knocking on your door?
What if I allowed fear to hold me back? God’s plans will succeed with our without me. He doesn’t need me for this, He allows me to take part in a small sliver of His work on earth because He loves me. And you know what? I don’t want to miss out on any of it, not one misplaced comma, not one apostrophe, or hanging plant!
And, still my heart races, while the Lord confidently smiles and reaches out His hand for mine. Taking deep breaths, I attempt to settle my rising and falling chest. He softly pulls me by my hand, up against His side, tucking me safely under His arm.
I squeeze my eyes shut and feel Him begin to move me forward. Taking small steps together, I walk blindly by His side. My other arm wrapped firmly around Him, He whispers, “Lean against me. You can do this because I can do this.”
Clinging to His robe, we walk through the open door together.
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