The Beautiful Sound of a Door Slammed Shut
It’s been a couple of month’s since I last posted an article on the website. I am sorry about that, but I had a door slammed shut on me and have bit a bit busy.
I was a young man, probably in tenth grade or so, when I first heard the sound of a Death Row Cell door slam shut. That sound has never left me. I was on a fieldtrip to the State Penitentiary at Parchman with my high school class. The sound of that iron cell door slamming shut was a frightening experience. The echo of the door being closed was hauntingly eerie. We found out later that the intention of the teachers all along was for that closed door to be a learning experience that we would never forget. It was intended to scare us to death. And it did. That door slamming shut taught us a very valuable life lesson. The lesson was that the teacher wanted something so much better for our lives.
I believe God still teaches us valuable lessons if we are willing to listen to Him. We have all probably experienced doors that have been closed on us. Closed doors come to us in all forms. And when they come, what is it we hear? The sound of a closed door can be so deafening, therefore, we have to really listen hard to hear God speak. When we do listen, however, we hear a teacher who loves us so much and He wants something so much better for our lives.
I have continued to learn lessons from doors being slammed shut. Allow me to share the most recent. A few short months ago, I had a door slam shut on my job. As many of you know, I had been employed by Stanford Financial Group.The noise of that door slamming shut was deafening for me and countless others. It was frightening but then I remembered the lesson from the fieldtrip to Parchman. Perhaps the “Teacher” was wanting me to remember the earlier life lesson. Maybe the “Teacher” wanted me to know again that He wanted something much better for my life. And that is exactly what has happened. By listening to the “Teacher”, I was able to hear a beautiful sound from that door being slammed shut. Above the noise and fear, I heard the message that there was something more.
What that “more” was for, was not known at first. My prayer was the Lord would make it perfectly clear where He was leading me. I didn’t care. I just wanted to be on the road He wanted me on. My oldest son, Peyton graduates from High School this Friday night. His youth minister preached their graduation service and told them that each of them were called to be ministers. It matters not what vocation they chose, they were to be ministers in that job. He is exactly right. And that message goes for you and I as well. So after much thought and prayer, I felt like the door that God was opening for me was to go into ministry with my own business. That is why I started Solomon Financial Advisors. (www.solomonfinancialadvisors.com)
My life is a witness to how God can take a closed door and use it as an opportunity to open another door. He does it in order for Him to be glorified. I think the Israelites heard the sound of a slammed door when they faced the Red Sea on one side and Pharoah’s army coming after them on the other side; until they were able to walk through the door that God opened for them. Why did God do that? I think first, so that He would be glorified and I think second, that He wanted something much better for their lives.
Have you had any doors slammed shut on you? What did that experience sound like? Be of good cheer and watch how He takes those closed doors in your life and opens new doors. These new doors often times come in the form of a spiritual lesson as much or more so than a material lesson. It is important to keep an eternal perspective when we have closed doors in our lives. Perhaps God is wanting us to learn a spiritual lesson. We are made in God’s image and He is continually redeeming us back into that image. Maybe the open door is one of a new and better life in the Spirit. So keep an eternal perspective when you listen to the sound of a closed door. Only God can take the noise of a door slammed shut and make it a beautiful sound.
I really like this article on ‘A Beautiful Sound Of A Door Slammed Shut.’ I’m working in a brand new building built from the ground up. The offices have doors that are constantly being slammed shut. Today I had enough of hearing them, so I googled: spiritual side of doors slamming, and your article came up. I was able to read it and see that doors slamming shut is not bad. It is a good thing. To me it signifies exactly what you are saying. Doors shut gives an opportunity for another door to open.
I’ve also for the last three months, have been seeing doors and hearing door bells. Everything we do, say, and hear is so significant. Your article was very clear and precise to the blessing of the sound of doors slamming shut.
Thnx.