Finding the Door
by Marie Monville, Guest Writer
Today’s Treasure
Then I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope.
Hosea 2:15
Did you sleep last night? There’s just something about the darkness that makes a difficult situation feel so much worse. Fears loom larger, diminishing the truth, and practically extinguishing any bit of hope or reason. It’s much harder to push all of that aside in the middle of the night while you’re watching the minutes tick by so slowly. But it’s daytime now and you made it. You’re still alive, you’re breathing. You may have struggled to get out of bed, or maybe you’ve stayed in bed. That’s ok. First things first: take a moment to breathe. This is Day 1. It’s not Day 0 any longer. You don’t ever have to do that one again.
Day 1 is waiting for you. Maybe you are ready for it, and if that’s you, that’s great. But if it’s not and you just want to wear your comfy clothes, drink coffee and cry today—that’s ok too. Each journey is different. And that isn’t a bad thing. You’re not doing it better or worse than anyone else. I remember when I didn’t want to meet Day 1. It felt too heavy, too hard; there was so much weighing on me. October 3, 2006. I didn’t want to think about all I imagined that would come—hard conversations with my kids, my family, the police. I wanted to turn back the clock and make it all go away, but I couldn’t. Grief and its many emotions were the layers of this day. I felt like everything was over.
I could not open any of the doors I knew before Day 0. They were gone forever—doors of belief about myself, of stability for my family, and hope for the certainty of our future. I felt trapped in a place I did not want; in the midst of circumstances, I could not control. It was as if I was standing in a hallway, endlessly trying all the old doors, but they were locked. Finally, though, I discovered a new door, and it opened. God opened the door. He breathed his peace and his hope on me. He gave me the courage I needed to get out of bed and face whatever would come. Just as he met me in that way, he’s ready to meet you too.
This is the first day of the rest of your life. Yesterday you felt like life was over; I understand. And in some ways, that’s true. Your old life is over. But you have this new one in front of you. It’s waiting. God is waiting. I’m not asking you to go running wildly into this day; I’m just asking that you see the potential it holds. Today has potential, and so will tomorrow, and every day after. Friend, you get to decide what that means, but remember that you’re not alone in it. God is with you. He will help you.
So, what’s the right choice?
Run to Jesus first. Listen to him, take your time and get to know him, let him love you, and make the choice through the grid of His love. I think God is already whispering the answer. There are a million things you could do today. You get to choose. You’re going to have a lot of people telling you what to do. They will tell you what worked for them, what they would do if they were you, or what they think you should do. But guess what? They are NOT you. And this is NOT their life. So today is NOT their choice. It’s yours. You choose! Start with something simple: take a walk, treat yourself to a coffee or tea from your favorite shop, stay in bed and rest for another hour, listen to music, call a friend, buy a bouquet of flowers; whatever it is that’s meaningful to you, do that!
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Going through immense difficulty brings clarity. I’m sure there are a lot of things you’re thinking about, things you’d do differently if you had a second chance on the past 6 months of your life. So, take those feelings, and allow them to change you. Embrace the change today with just one small step.
What’s in your plan? What is God whispering to you at this very moment? Look for places where there’s an open door. Even if it’s a struggle, and yes, even if you don’t really feel like it. Allow God to show you open doors that still exist in your life.
PRAYER
Join me in this prayer, “God, I don’t know where to begin. I’m not even sure I want to begin, but I know this isn’t the end. Would You show me the open door today, and give me the courage to reach for it?”
Marie Monville I’m a wife and mom of 6 kids. I recently became a “Lolli” (my term for grandma, yes my husband is “Pop”) and love everything about my sweet grandson. I’m passionate about my family and believe in the redemptive beauty of adoption. You’ll find me advocating for the older child. Family dinners are special, so they are a priority in our home. Sometimes that means a nice meal on real dishes, and other days, that’s leftovers on paper plates! I’m a dreamer, a believer, and if you’re in my circle, I’ll champion you and your goals! I love real relationships, and that means living life with authenticity. So yeah, on any given day there might be 12+ pairs of my kids’ shoes between our living and dining room; I’m still working on that! (https://mariemonville.com/about/)
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.