Category: prayer

The Gift of a Closed Door.

On By jolenenavarroIn Culture, Inspire, prayer, writer17 Comments

We live by faith, not by sight
2 Corinthians 5:7
I’m fascinated with doors, love them. Walking the French Quarter in New Orleans, I took more pictures of doors than anything else.

Doorways in New Orleans
Doors to Secret Places in New Orleans in the French Quarter
Pirate Ally
On the way to Pirate Ally in the French Quarter’s of New Orleans.

Doors are strong symbolism for opportunities & rejections. How do we handle an opened door? Afraid of the unknown or do you have the faith to walk through with courage?

New Orleans French Quarters
Waiting to entry the unknown in New Orleans.

How do we react when confronted with a closed door?

A shut door can lead to a better path. Even in the French Quarter, New Orleans.
A shut door can lead to a better path. Even in the French Quarter, New Orleans.

There are times we want to bang on the locked door until our fist is bloody and our throat raw, or imagine going Chuck Norris on the thing that keeps us from our perfect life. Denying us what we think we desire the most. The one thing that would make us happy. Oh, but I have learned that closed doors can be the greatest gift, forcing us to find a new path.

You have to be willing to follow a new path. Let go of the Old. Stairway in New Orleans, French Quarter.
You have to be willing to follow a new path. Let go of the Old. Stairway in New Orleans, French Quarter.

Early in our marriage, with two baby girls, we tried to buy our first house. Denied, I was devastated. I ended up moving back home for a couple of months as we made new plans. That ended up being exactly where I needed to be at that time. Without warning, I lost my father in a plane crash, but the months spent with him can’t be replaces. God had answered a prayer I didn’t even know I needed to pray. Seeing the devastation of Katrina in the 9th Ward put many thing in perspective, also the support and faith to rebuild.

Empty house in the 9th Ward. Abandoned after Katrina
Empty house in the 9th Ward. Abandoned after Katrina
New House in the 9th Ward - New Orleans, Make it Right.
New House in the 9th Ward – New Orleans, Make it Right.

Yes, faith is believing in what you can’t see, but I also think it is seeing with faith. If we take the time to look we can see God’s love in the most unlikely places.

Walking into Jackson Square late at night.
Walking into Jackson Square late at night.

How do you dance when you want to cry?

On By jolenenavarroIn prayer6 Comments

How do you find the will to dance when the rain has turned into a hail storm pounding on your spirit?

Texas Sunset
Texas Sunset

Today in the very act of celebrating human perseverance and endurance a random act of vicious hatred stopped us in our tracks and knocked us off our feet.  We want to know why, but even if we get an  answer we still can’t fathom the choice to murder innocents.

As Americans our differences fade at times like this and we stand stronger as one.

On a personal level, I got a message on facebook today that my uncle had passed away.  Over the weekend, one co-worker had unexpectedly lost his wife leaving him with two small children; another co-worker’s son was in a horrible car wreck and is in the trauma center. A whole family, not far from our home town was killed by a drunk driver, and then I get in the car and hear about the violence in Boston.

Yes, as Christians we are told to praise the storms. They build character; make us stronger. God won’t give us more than we can handle.  We hear these platitudes over and over again.

Oh, but I think we get more than we can handle all the time. The trick is how we deal with the overwhelming aches. Does your faith get you through? 

Before I even received half of the news above, today I was talking with my principal. We were wondering how people get through life without faith. It is through my faith I gain strength when I’m at my weakest.

Yes, we are to celebrate and praise even in the hard times, but we also need a time to weep and mourn.

Matthew 11:28, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 One thing we can do is pray and send positive thoughts of peace to the world.  Back in January a friend blogged about world peace. Kinley, I think we could use a little more optimistic wishes today, so I’m sharing your post from January.

http://kinleybaker.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/a-ridiculously-optimistic-resolution-for-the-pageant-dream-of-world-peace/