Recently a door was unlocked for me. I was welcomed. There were no conditions. You could sense that if I went through the door that expectations would follow, however the voice from within came across as gracious and open.
With the initial experience of entering and meeting the rest of the community behind me, I realized that the door is regularly left unlocked. The experience has been a fresh reminder of the lessons of an unlocked door.
I rarely realize how many doors are unlocked in my life. Relationships are open, waiting for me to engage. In my rush, I lose sight of the people close to my heart. Even VIPs, if only for a time, are left unattended. When I pause, I begin to hear their voices, feel their care and kindness, and through them rediscover Divine love and acceptance. The door between us was always unlocked, even when I assumed it was closed.
An unlocked door may open awkwardly when it has been unattended. The mini lesson came in being the first to arrive at the office. The door looked closed and yet it was, in its own way, open to me. As I pulled, with the center anchor left unlatched, the door opened even though the lock was in place. I thought it was closed. While I thought it appeared locked, it will open if I was willing to take the first step. The offer of relationship is, especially with God, always there, if I am willing to accept the invitation to enter.
Doorways and apparent darkness beyond rarely tell the true story of what lies behind the door. One is invited to trust in the welcome that was given earlier. Taking a step, practically in this case, was an invitation to turn on the lights and enjoy a fresh espresso in the quietness of an office welcoming me back.
A psalm reminds me of God’s unlocked heart; “You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.” (Psalm 139.3). The unlocked invitation is always with us.
