Last weeks I was in Ashland Seminary, in Ashland, Ohio for a conference. It’s the third time I’ve been down there, so I’m starting to get used to the place, but it’s still unfamiliar territory. Even the conference building itself is still a bit of a mystery to me. Even though it’s not very big, it has a number of nooks, crannies and corners that hinder navigation rather severely. Sure enough, one afternoon I found myself wandering the halls of the seminary looking for my next landing place; I was not entirely lost, but I wasn’t quite sure where I was, either.
Not being certain where I was, I knocked on a door to see if some help was available. The knock resulted in a pleasant welcome and the usual, “How are you doing” question. Now, let me put this into context: the conference I was attending was designed to help me walk closer to Jesus. It focuses not just on a healthy relationship with our Lord and Saviour, but in healthy relationships with others as well. So, when Matthew, the gentleman that answered the door, asked me how I was doing, I immediately felt that he truly cared what my answer would be.
More background: Matthew is a fascinating man, but during the course of the conference I found him a bit closed. Not unfriendly at all, but just a bit hard to approach, at least for me. Yet here, in this moment, there was no barrier: it was clear he cared what I was thinking and how I was feeling and so I spent a few minutes answering him, and he spent a few minutes helping me grow and walk closer to Christ.
When I knocked on Matthew’s door, I was a little lost. When he answered, I didn’t find the door I was looking for physically, but I did find the door God had intended for me Spiritually. That’s the amazing thing about a life of faith: we are never so lost that God cannot find us. Although we may wander the halls feeling that every door is the wrong one, God can help us find an entry point to Him if we are open to His prodding.
Had I not unknowingly knocked on the wrong door I would never have had the chance to talk to Matthew. I would have missed some valuable insights about myself and, more importantly, I would not have had the opportunity to find out just how much he really cares about people. God’s grace, as one great song reminds us, is pretty amazing; I once was lost in the halls of Ashland Seminary but before I knew it, I had been found
Of course, you have to be open to being found. You have to be aware that what looks like the wrong door might be the right one. You have to believe that when someone asks “How are you doing” they aren’t just doing it to be polite. You have to believe that for all the wrong turns there is one that will point you to exactly where you need to be. No matter what, you have to believe that you are never so lost that God can’t find you.
Not being certain where I was, I knocked on a door to see if some help was available. The knock resulted in a pleasant welcome and the usual, “How are you doing” question. Now, let me put this into context: the conference I was attending was designed to help me walk closer to Jesus. It focuses not just on a healthy relationship with our Lord and Saviour, but in healthy relationships with others as well. So, when Matthew, the gentleman that answered the door, asked me how I was doing, I immediately felt that he truly cared what my answer would be.
More background: Matthew is a fascinating man, but during the course of the conference I found him a bit closed. Not unfriendly at all, but just a bit hard to approach, at least for me. Yet here, in this moment, there was no barrier: it was clear he cared what I was thinking and how I was feeling and so I spent a few minutes answering him, and he spent a few minutes helping me grow and walk closer to Christ.
When I knocked on Matthew’s door, I was a little lost. When he answered, I didn’t find the door I was looking for physically, but I did find the door God had intended for me Spiritually. That’s the amazing thing about a life of faith: we are never so lost that God cannot find us. Although we may wander the halls feeling that every door is the wrong one, God can help us find an entry point to Him if we are open to His prodding.
Had I not unknowingly knocked on the wrong door I would never have had the chance to talk to Matthew. I would have missed some valuable insights about myself and, more importantly, I would not have had the opportunity to find out just how much he really cares about people. God’s grace, as one great song reminds us, is pretty amazing; I once was lost in the halls of Ashland Seminary but before I knew it, I had been found
Of course, you have to be open to being found. You have to be aware that what looks like the wrong door might be the right one. You have to believe that when someone asks “How are you doing” they aren’t just doing it to be polite. You have to believe that for all the wrong turns there is one that will point you to exactly where you need to be. No matter what, you have to believe that you are never so lost that God can’t find you.
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