When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

I am an ambitious person.  It seems like my mind rarely rests and there are always a wide array of ideas floating around in my head.  At times I am quick to act on them and dive in head-first with enthusiasm ready to tackle the world.  A few of those ideas have been successful, but plenty more have failed.  When failure has been the outcome, I have let feelings of frustration and defeat consume me.

Failure is not fun.  No one enjoys failing.  I know I certainly don't, but just because I have failed doesn't mean there aren't lessons to be learned.  Those lessons are valuable and though I may not understand them at the time, those closed doors are simply a part of my journey.  As hard as it may be to accept, those lessons play an integral part in shaping who I am as a person and guiding me down the right path.

Have you ever been disappointed in the outcome of pursuing an idea only to later realize if it had worked out, your current path wouldn't be possible?  Sometimes, when we are feeling restless or pressured, we try to force ourselves into believing we have the perfect plan to remedy the situation. We try to implement this plan, but to our disappointment the results are less than desirable.  At the time we may feel crushed and wonder why this has happened, but in time another door opens and the light comes on.  We have an "Aha" moment and realize all of the pain and disappointment we may have experienced was for not.  This door that has opened may bring us more joy and fulfillment than we could have ever imagined had our original plan worked out.

In the past year I have experienced this first-hand.  Last winter I was knee deep in one of my big ideas.  I planned to use my education and experience to open a preschool in my small town.  Initially I was discouraged because I couldn't find a location that would work, but one Sunday evening, on our anniversary no less, I received an email from the pastor at a nearby church expressing interest in being the location for the preschool.  The door had opened.

After a few months of meeting with the pastor and working with state officials everything appeared to be coming together.  I hired an architect to draw out the plans to be submitted to the state.  He thought there would be no problems, so I had my first meeting to share my preschool philosophy and plans with potential student's parents.  Everything was moving along so well until one day the rug was pulled out.

The state reviewed the architect's plans and there were problems.  The fire marshall mandated some very expensive and extensive work be done before the preschool could be opened at the church.  I was crushed as these alterations could not be made and the preschool was put on an indefinite hold.

Fast-forward a year.  From Cover to Cover, the charitable organization I co-founded, has grown immensely.  Not only have we expanded our programs, but we are sharing our mission with civic organizations in our area.  Nearly every month I have a speaking engagement in addition to meeting with school administrators and facilitating the programs at our targeted schools.  I also spend hours working on fundraising and writing grants each month.  The majority of these activities take place during the day and if I were running a preschool and teaching, I would not have the opportunity to serve these children.

Few things, other than my family, bring me more joy than the work I have done with From Cover to Cover.  Actively working with children from low income homes fills my heart.  Providing these children with a treasured gift (the blanket) and a necessary tool that could lead to a brighter future (the books) will never get old.  The excitement, smiles, and sweet thank you's from the kids bring tears to my eyes each time.  The addition of Family Literacy Nights has sweetened the deal even more, as now we get to work with parents, too.

The door that closed on my preschool has lead to countless open doors in the past year.  The disappointment that consumed me has given way to joy and fulfillment.  We have been able to reach out to hundreds of local school children and share our message about the importance of reading and, in turn, they have received a gift lovingly made by one of our generous volunteers.

It has all come full circle and I can see now that my plan was not a part of His plan.  We must be faithful and trust when one door closes another will open.  It may be hard to wait, but if we are patient and willing to trust in His plan, great things will happen.  If you hold a big dream close to your heart and hit a roadblock, do not despair.  God works in mysterious ways.  The big picture may not be clear to you, but in time it will reveal itself.  Just do yourself a favor-never give up.