Life after my heart attack has been interesting. There is a lot of life happening at the moment with some pretty difficult situations, but I’m learning and leaning on Jesus. I can’t rely on my strength, but I can rely on His strength.
Last week I was staying in a hotel, and because the treadmill in the hotel gym was broken, I found myself walking up and down the hall. The hall was long, and there were doors to various rooms along the way. I was reminded, every day we can open doors to opportunity or regret. There are some doors we should never open yet we willingly open them and walk in, allowing ourselves to become trapped in a place we should never have gone. Sometimes it’s only for minutes, and sometimes even that is way too long. Every door we open leads us to somewhere with power to change us for good or bad.
As I walked by the doors, I placed imaginary labels on them. Fear, Shame, Guilt, Rejection, Hatred, Anger, Bitterness, Evil, Regret, Worthlessness, along with Faith, Trust, Love, Mercy, Grace, Compassion, Empathy, Hope, Life, Redemption, Peace, Power, Contentment, Salvation, Joy, and JESUS.
As children one of the first doors we open is fear. Why? Because we are vulnerable and reliant on others for our needs. As children, many of our fears seem real, but they aren’t always real. An example of a fear that isn’t real, but we can make it real, is the boogie man. When does the boogie man come out? In the darkness. However, we learn we can turn those fears into reality if we are not careful. The boogie man can become larger than our original fear. My brother loved the fact I was afraid of the dark and would use every opportunity to scare me. I allowed my fear of the dark to become so big that I suffered from night terrors for years. God healed me from those horrible terrors about twenty years ago, and I am thankful! Anything we are afraid to face can become the boogie man. Death can become the boogie man for us because death can be fearful and overwhelming. When you are faced with a life or death crisis, you will naturally experience fear.
When Jesus was praying in the garden, He prayed if it was the Father’s will, he might be spared the cup of suffering, namely His crucifixion and death. I have to believe that Jesus the man had fear, too. Fear is a natural response, but God is the ultimate authority and can defeat any boogie man who would frighten you and leave you vulnerable. Jesus defeated both fear and death and conquered the grave not for himself, but for all of us.
As I lay on the hospital table wondering what they would find, I wondered if I would need to have open heart surgery. I wasn’t fearful at all, though, and found myself in overwhelming peace. There was no boogie man, but only the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. Somewhere along the way, my fear gave over to faith and trust. I understood without a shadow of a doubt how much God loved me, not by what I could see, but what I could feel. God’s presence was powerful! The enemy couldn’t hold me hostage to my fear of dying because God was shining His light in every corner of my heart.
Trust me, I have been in the other rooms, and it is only by the grace of God I am no longer there. Do I still struggle with wandering into some of these rooms which would only harm me? Yes, I do! However, I don’t stay as long as I used to because God reminds me I don’t belong in those rooms. Our past is forgiven and today belongs to Him.
Don't knock on doors that will invite you inside only to hold you hostage to your past. Share on X Yes, we have all walked in the wrong room at one time or another, but it is what we have learned from being in those rooms that have helped us grow and overcome what the enemy tries to use against us. The boogie man has no power over you, and neither does fear. God never gets tired of us knocking on His door, and with Him, you will find the stairway to heaven!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8
Sheila, this was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you. I often find myself going back through that door of guilt and condemnation, but God is always behind me, tapping me on the shoulder saying, “Amy, you don’t need to come into this room any more. Let me lock that door and throw away the key.” – Amy
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Beautiful article Sheila!
So, so thankful for the sweet peace of Jesus!
May God continue to bless you with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Love you always!
Did not mean to put 2 mm after your name…..
The doors are a good analogy Sheila.mm
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