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How to Survive All of the Open and Closed Doors in Life

I couldn’t believe it!

For months, I talked with this ministry about becoming their director. We’d been through countless interviews, meetings, and phone conversations.

I’d filled out form after form after form.

The questionnaires were endless.

But, in the end, the door to step into this position closed. Tightly. Without warning.

I would not be walking through this door.

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How to Survive All of the Open and Closed Doors in Life

Closed doors can be painful, jarring, and completely unexpected.

We think we are headed in one direction, and then abruptly the door slams shut.

In addition, we get our emotions all set on a particular path. Energy begins to build, ideas start forming, and our hearts begin to wrap themselves around the thought of moving toward this new entrance.

Then. The. Door. Closes.

And, we must stop, adjust our focus, and take a minute to catch our breath.

When I found myself standing in the hallway–outside the closed door of ministry–I had to decide how to respond.

In those quiet moments after the door had closed, I began to pray over all that I was feeling and dealing with. As I prayed, God gave me some sweet insights into closed and open doors.

I’m praying that these insights might encourage you as you encounter all of the doors that will open and close in your life.

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I'm praying that these insights might encourage you as you encounter all of the doors that will open and close in your life. Share on X

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Here are 3 suggestions for how to survive all of the open and closed doors in life:

First, when the door closes, take time to pray.

Indeed, you may be very hurt or angry when that door slams shut. Tell God how you feel. Talk things over with Him. He can take it.

Psalm 62:8 reminds us, “O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”

Sometimes, praying aloud to the Lord can help.

Other times, journaling our prayers can give us great relief.

To pray is to take the difficulties of our lives and hand them over to the only One who can really do anything about things.

Moreover, to give our pain to God is to invite Him to create and work something good out of it all.

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To pray is to take the difficulties of our lives and hand them over to the only One who can really do anything about our lives. Share on X

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Second, when the door closes, take some time to grieve your loss.

When we rush off to the next thing, we don’t allow ourselves time to work through all that has to take place.

For me, I felt betrayed, misled, and completely mistreated. I had been led to believe that I would be walking through the door of leadership in this particular ministry.

However, when it did not happen, I was taken aback.

Truly, I needed to take some time to allow my emotions to catch up with all of the events that had taken place.

You will too!

None of us can process everything immediately.

We all need time to absorb the blows of life.

So, take a few days to ponder all that has transpired before rushing off to the next thing.

Consider what Mary, the mother of Jesus, did when she found out she was going to give birth: “But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

When doors close, it would benefit us greatly if we would take time to give careful thought to all that has taken place.

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None of us can process everything immediately. We all need time to absorb the blows of life. So, take a few days to ponder all that has transpired before rushing off to the next thing. Share on X

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Finally, when a door closes, watch for God to open a different door.

It’s an adage that we’ve grown up hearing, “When God closes a door, He will open a window.”

We’ve all heard it since we were children.

And, yet, it is true!

We serve a God who can open the doors that no person can close.  Additionally, our God can close the doors that no person can open.

In Revelation 3:8, God told the Church at Philidelphia, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”

God can open doors that no one will be able to close.

He is a door-opening God.

We serve a Door-Opening God!

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God can open doors that no one will be able to close. He is a door-opening God. Share on X

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An Example of God Opening Doors

Believe it or not, exactly 6 days after the ministry door closed for me, God opened another door.

It was totally unexpected and still hard for me to believe.

Indeed, I was still processing the closed ministry door by praying, pondering, and trusting God to do what He wanted to do next.

My newly opened door came in the form of an email.

At first, I thought it was just another spammy email or a bogus request. (I get many, many of these as a blogger.)

But, this email was legit. And, it led to a phone conversation and then a Skype conversation. In time, it led to me signing a contract to write a book with a publisher.

This particular publisher was looking for someone to write a devotional book for teenage girls. They’d been following my Instagram account–unbeknownst to me–and now they were offering me the chance to author this book.

I was blown away and completely surprised by the whole thing! (And, I still am!)

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The Book is Here!

The book is here after 6 months of planning, writing, praying, and editing!

It’s called Live in Light: 5-Minute Devotions for Teen Girls.

You can find out more and pre-order your copy today!

Click LIVE IN LIGHT to get more info.

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One More Thing

If you find yourself standing outside a closed door today, don’t despair.

Your God can open an amazing new door for you as well.

Why not begin to ask Him to open a new door for you?

Why not invite God to do something new in your life?

As you see, closed doors are not final. They are not the end. They are just places where we have to make a turn and go a new way.

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I’m praying that God will give you courage and hope as you turn and go a new way.

“For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun!

Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19

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For you see, closed doors are not final. They are not the end. They are just places where we have to make a turn and go a new way. Share on X.

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Want more Encouragement?

WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN GOD FEELS DISTANT?

10 SCRIPTURES TO HELP YOU TO FILL UP

 

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