Locked Out!

   “Bang, bang, bang,” knocked my 5 year old son, outside, on the door. His little eyes peered through the window. No answer. Quickly he knocked again, “bang, bang, bang”. Still nothing moved from within the house. Inside, the radio volume in the living had been turned way up to feel the good song and I was back in my bedroom, completely oblivious to the banging noise. Any other time and Zach’s brother and sister would easily have heard his knock and responded, but this time, they weren’t home. The banging turns to crying and wailing as my desperate son realizes the reality: He’s locked out! When finally, over the noise of the house, I heard a faint sound. I went into the Living Room and saw my husband, home for lunch, with a child tucked in his arms standing at the back door banging as loudly as he can. And thankfully, if I hadn’t heard that knock, he had a key! 

   As I opened the door, floods of tears and shaking filled my eyes, ears and arms. Our back door is tricky. It can be locked, but still let you open it from the inside. It’s only when you can’t get back in that you realize your mistake. It had just been an accident. My son had been inside listening to music when the dog started barking and he merely stepped outside to see what was going on and tell him emphatically to “HUSH!”.

   That image of my child outside, in his Daddy’s arms after he had been wailing and knocking to be let in made my mother’s heart hurt. I know that feeling – of being locked out! I’ve been there several times. Your beating heart sinks to your stomach and your breath becomes shallow as panic sets in. You can’t believe you just did that! But then, for Zach what joy unfolded as his Daddy rounded that corner!

   What a beautiful illustration of what Jesus did – and is currently doing – for us.

   Sometimes, though, in my prayers, I struggle with feeling locked out. I pray and ask, seek understanding, pray for a certain answer, for healing, or relief, sometimes to no answer from above. My circumstances aren’t changing. Things aren’t going as I’ve planned – or hoped. The psalmist must have felt this as well as he wrote Psalm 13:

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD, My God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’ lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

   In those times when I feel locked out, my heart can rejoice in my salvation founded in Jesus Christ. I can actually sing, despite my circumstances in that truth alone! Can you? You can if you’ve made Jesus your anchor, your Savior.

  

  In Revelation 3:20, we get the image of God (Jesus) knocking on the door of our heart.

 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me.”

Do you hear Him knocking? Will you answer the door?

Putting it In Our Own Words,

~Julie