Close Them Softly
Last week at missionary training I had the honor of hearing a veteran missionary share with us about the adventures she has had in her life. Last year, she said goodbye to her husband as he passed away, and she shared with us the journey they traveled together in their suffering.
One thing she shared with us is sure to stick in my mind forever. She felt that the Lord told her this:
Open the doors with joy, and close them softly.
What a beautiful way to say that. When God opens a door, we should rejoice in the gift we have been given. But when he closes a door, it is not our place to question and cry and become bitter. We don’t open doors with joy and then slam them when it comes time to close one. Nor do we sit back and stare at the door God is closing and refuse to move on.
Open the doors with joy, rejoice over the gifts God has given you.
And when God is closing a door, let your hand rest under His and close it, softly. Confidently. With gratitude for the other doors he has opened, and full of hope that there is a perfect plan in place.
This phrase will be one that will challenge me over the years, and I am grateful to have heard it so beautifully expressed.