The Word of God
Polishing The Doorknob
“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” Warren Wiersbe
It’s crazy the things you remember during the course of any given day, especially if that day has been filled with stressful situations and people. Take for instance these past few weeks as the summer continues to rage and race by. Having been reminded by a dear and lifelong friend, I have thought about an interesting practice of my fellow students in graduate school. We studied in a very old building that actually had brass doorknobs. During those wonderful years, two things never failed to happen throughout the semesters: first, they became tarnished and smudged and somewhat unrecognizable through the passing of time and sweaty and nervous use; second, something remarkable and miraculous happened around exam time. Most if not all those beautiful doorknobs started looking rather lovely and brilliant. You see there was this strange practice that when you got worried or anxious or maybe even afraid to face that exam whether it be oral or written that you started polishing your doorknob. It took your mind from academic (and other kinds of) worries and removed you away from issues and pressing matters that really begged and needed your attention. Now I don’t know if anybody did a study to equate the brightness of the knobs to the grades that were achieved during those days but I’m sure there’s some correlation. But if it’s not about grades, there certainly is another correlation that is worth noting. It’s about procrastination, that is about putting off important things when we have the time to address them with everything we’ve got. It looks like procrastination never goes out of style.
Take for instance an emotional and breath-taking audition in 2021 on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent. An amazing woman, who called herself Nightbirde, performed a truly remarkable song that she had written, simply entitled, “It’s OK.” During the course of the performance, we found out that this wonderfully bright soul had cancer in her lungs, spine, and liver. With poetic and brave confidence, she told the world that she had to keep going and her whole life-philosophy was summed up in a simple phrase: “You can’t wait for life to not be hard anymore before you decide to be happy!”
This really made me think a lot about life. It is of absolute truth-value to remember that we are all so much more than the bad things that happen to us. However too often, those painful memories or situations find themselves neatly (and not-so-neatly) tucked away and postponed. I began honestly bringing healthy attention to the things that I’m putting away or the things I’m postponing instead of spending the proper time and attention to figuring out resolution and/or accepting the cold truth that there may not be one immediately. They came crashing through the other day when one of my clients called to report to me that she saw somebody trying to actually sell her baby. Immediately we called the police who showed up with us so that we wouldn’t startle this poor woman who was obviously human trafficking her own flesh and blood. The good news is that everything came out OK. I distracted the woman by telling her that my friend inside the store would give her a free Slurpee if she just would ask for it. She must’ve been thirsty or perhaps not all there, but she handed me the baby while she went in to get the frozen treat at which point the plain-clothed policeman swooped in and took care of things. To make a very long story short and bearable I got to meet the foster parents of this child, a baby boy, and begged them that when he turned sixteen to please let him know that his life was saved by a Slurpee and not by anything more sublime than the caring loving people who may never have had the chance to meet him except in front of a convenient store while people were pumping gas and purchasing quick snacks for the road. You see there are some things that cannot wait. There are some things that just cannot be postponed.
When unexpected events thrust you into a time of change, and disruption and fear, it is a good time to look back on similar experiences and see how you made it through. Let me share a little of my own “turn in the road” I never saw coming and what it has taught me. For more than thirty-five years of my existence, I lived a very full, engaged, and zealous life, with somewhat of a predictable routine, daily at the helm of constant activity I found enjoyable and rewarding. And then, one day it was completely disrupted, executed by the worst kind of betrayals stacked upon betrayals and I found myself on a whole new path — unwanted, unknown and without a clue what the future would hold. The takeaway from my experience? “The change brought new life and invigorated my faith. It forced me into new professional experiences that were simultaneously challenging and uncomfortable, but also rewarding and the result has been an increased sense of resilience,” I recently wrote to my doorknob-days brother and friend. When I think back and hopefully inspire and help someone out there, I can say the following without a doubt: Life is funny. Just as I was forcibly removed from a community that I loved and that loved me back and as I reeled from the human trauma of that, there were true soldiers of human compassion and friendship that presented themselves in my life. Some of them were somewhat random. They weren’t exactly close friends before, but their love and caring lifted me up repeatedly and the repetition and persistence on their part was appreciated.
Forget the doorknobs of worry and anxiety: get to work and get to a life that must be lived right here, right now because that’s where God‘s grace and a ripe field of miracles await. As life continues to enfold for all of us, somewhere, life is right here, right now and because of people who live in the present moment, that little boy now has a chance to survive and thrive, and although Nightbirde has gone onto her heavenly reward, she leaves behind a legacy of courage and brave living. Remember that life is too precious to put off for another time. Your life is now. Just imagine the hidden but potential moments of greatness that are going to present themselves to you. Are you going to go out at full force or are you going to spend time polishing the doorknob? I say doorknobs are best used to open and close while life is meant to be lived in nothing short but awe and amazement.
The next time you reach for a doorknob remember that we can and must make the world around us beautiful and that will be our life. Ordinary minutes of every day present wondrous opportunities to make the world beautiful through love of family, acts of faith, lifting the spirits of others, being that soldier of human compassion for someone else and being a caring friend. Carefully, open that door.
Share your thoughts (54 thoughts)“Then, when it seems we will never smile again, life comes back.” Mark M. Baldwin
When you love yourself, you take care of yourself. When you take care of yourself, you’re confident and believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, the possibilities are endless.
Loving oneself is the only true way to sanity in this world. When one loves God first and realizes the great miracle that He creates in us, everybody wins. God bless you always!
Thanks for responding.
A few weeks back I checked to see if a new installment had been posted- much to my dismay there wasn’t. Life got in the way – so many changes occurred and when I felt down and in need of inspiration I checked back to see your beautiful words. Just what my soul needed. It’s amazing how God works through you. It’s like you’re in the backseat of my life – waiting to write something I need to hear. Thank you for sharing your ultimate betrayal yet journey to acceptance. You remind me that we all have our lows but are capable of choosing to live again. Even when it feels impossible!
Thank you so very much for those encouraging words! I am blessed to have read them when I did giving tremendous support to your assertion that God knows when to get out the message while selecting the appropriate messenger.
“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love, or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.”
Steve Goodier
Thank you for such a beautiful article. It always seems that you write exactly what I need at the time. How encouraging and uplifting your articles always are. God is always good. Your article is a perfect example how your life experience though not easy for you is a powerful positive impact for
Many others. Christ suffered for us so we may have life, you also had to suffer to help many others so they may live life and health. God bless you. Please continue to write.
Thank you so very much for your comments. They are along with the ones of so many are so greatly appreciated. My life has produced many great experiences and great friends. God bless you always!
“Life is filled with challenges and interruptions. We live in a world that is full of excuses and personal responsibility is in short supply. The projector has for a while now replaced the tried and true mirror for being true to ourselves as we serve our community. Refuse to let your limits from others be your legacy for yourself. Do not let others dictate how much you are going to make or how successful you are becoming. They don’t own you nor have they made the commitment to provide for you.”
― Chris J. Gregas
“Pay Attention to God, Your Call/Assignment, Ministry, Home and Impart to the Next Generation (Legacy). Ignore the noise.”
― Wisdom Kwashie Mensah
What a beautiful article! Thank you for this reminder that every single day must be met with resilience, strength, and steadfast faith. Even though it is easy to get overwhelmed with everything thrown at us on a daily basis, professionally or personally, we must continue to remind ourselves to live in the moment, and allow God’s Grace to steer us in the right direction so we may fulfill our purpose in this life. Every doorknob must be turned no matter how shiny or how dull it may be, and every door must be opened for behind every door is a new beginning, not necessarily for ourselves, but for whomever may be behind that door. We may possibly be a tool for someone else’s new journey, just like you were a tool to that precious child of God. Your article reminds me to not allow frivolous things of this life interfere with those things I must accomplish as part of my spiritual journey. Thank you for this beautiful article!
Thank you so very much for returning to these pages and taking your blessed time to respond to our latest post. I believe you are correct when you wrote that we may be that special instrument for others to bring those speciall messages of hope and encouragement to those around us. Thank you for your comments and prayers. God is so wonderful to all of us!
“You are an instrument of God. Don’t leave the instrument sitting in its case, my son. Play! Leave no part of your instrument unexplored. Why settle for ‘Three Blind Mice’ when you can can play the ‘Gloria’? No, not Bach’s ‘Gloria.’ Yours! Your ‘Gloria’ lives within you. The greatest sin is not finding it, ignoring what God made possible in you.”
― Abraham Verghese
I can’t begin to express how much this touched me. It took me a few days to start because I didn’t feel as though I was ready to give my full attention and something told me I needed to wait… I’m thankful I did. These past four months, I’d been in a state of reflection, prayer, and meditation. I lost my husband largely in part due to my alcoholism amongst other shameful addictions. My life-changing moment was when he served me divorce papers, and- defeated and hopeless- I signed. The day it became final, I sat under a tree, listening to the trees rustling in the wind. I had been about 45 days sober by that point, and felt and faced every emotion head on. I no longer had alcohol to drown myself in. Today, as I read this article, tears streamed down my face onto my keyboard. I thought about all those nights I’d get violently emotional while under the influence, all those drives home with a tall can of beer tucked away in my insulated lunch bag. The only thing I looked forward to for the past few years was getting drunk. Since I’ve been sober, I was able to clearly see what had to be done in order for me to be saved. I had to go into shock. I lost my husband and his wonderful family, but I had my own and God was right by my side. God had to separate me from him so that I could open my eyes to life around me. “You can’t wait for life to not be hard anymore before you decide to be happy!” Alcohol and my other addictions were keeping me from being happy. They crippled me and made me believe I was unworthy of such gifts. I’m 145 days sober today from all addictions and I’m more healthy spiritually, physically, and mentally than I have ever been in my entire life. My ex-husband checks on my well-being every once in a while. And his family still talks to me from time to time, so not all is lost I suppose. God and His grace knew how much I loved my ex-husband and his family, and decided not to completely sever our bonds. I procrastinated getting the help I needed for far too long. I blamed everyone but myself for my heinous acts. Looking back at past journal entries of mine, I read between the lines and noticed one thing that always stood out: God never abandoned me; He was preparing me for what was to come. He saw my rusted doorknobs and gave me the tools to clean them once I became sober enough to properly hold the polish. I am at a heightened level of peace these days, and God is responsible for my internal and external health. “God only allows us to see such things when he wants something to change.” – Paulo Coelho.
Welcome back, Kristen, and thank you so very much for your powerful witness and latest entry. Words simply cannot express the powerful impact your words had on me when I read your response. I made sure to forward these comments to those who are reading our blog and those who will by every means benefit from your witness. Please accept the promise of prayers for you and all your family. With God, all things are possible. God bless you always.
This is a beautiful reminder of what Jesus has called for us to be. We can hide behind the pain of experiences or the hurt that people, friends even relatives bring to our lives. But this is a reminder that we are bigger than that. We can forgive and move forward in our lives despite the turmoil. The devil would love for us to give in to the turmoil, but this is a reminder to me, as I am going through it now, that I can live a full filling life. God has given me that as he created me….as long as I remember what He expects of us.
Thank you for this reminder!
One thing I’ve come to learn in my life experiences, we are remarkably passionate as human beings. So passionate we kill one another, yet so passionate we love one another. Embracing this in the spirit that we are called to freely love one another sets us on a path of living with hope and peace. Especially when we encounter those who seem to gleefully cause us harm. Our life energy cannot be squandered on unworthy matters. We are called to love without delay. Whenever we lose a loved one we think if only we had just a little more time.
I know you are right, Tony, we are such passionate creatures. There are those whose passion leads them and others to great heights of accomplishment and care while others are completely destroyed by it — and taking others with them. In the end, we must realize where we are pouring out our life blood and assess how valuable and how rich the outcome yields. I guess you could say that passion without wisdom is a phenomenal waste of time.
“Because God is never cruel, there is a reason for all things. We must know the pain of loss; because if we never knew it, we would have no compassion for others, and we would become monsters of self-regard, creatures of unalloyed self-interest. The terrible pain of loss teaches humility to our prideful kind, has the power to soften uncaring hearts, to make a better person of a good one.”
― Dean Koontz
This is a beautiful reminder of what Jesus has called for us to be. We can hide behind the pain of experiences or the hurt that people, friends even relatives bring to our lives. But this is a reminder that we are bigger than that. We can forgive and move forward in our lives despite the turmoil. The devil would live for us to give in to the turmoil, but this is a reminder to me, as I am going through it now, that I can live a full filling life. God has given me that as he created me….as king as I remember what He expects of us.
Thank you for this reminder!
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with all of our readers today, Margo. We certainly appreciate the time you took and writing and sharing your thoughts. You are so right: There’s only one thing you can do when confronted with difficult times: Move forward. Don’t allow the challenges of life to break you. Don’t allow these difficult experiences to derail you from pursuing your dreams. When life pushes you to the ground, force yourself back up again. Keep fighting the hardship and make one tiny little step after another. Moving forward during times of hardship is incredibly difficult and challenging. But after some time, you’ll notice that by taking one step after another, you’ve eventually overcome the struggle. It’s great ti know that none of us are here alone. God never leaves the ones who call out to Him day and night. The one who prays is never alone.
Your words are always so encouraging and inspiring. This article came at a perfect time. A time when there’s just so much going on in this beautiful world that God created. I hardly ever watch the News Reports anymore because it’s so depressing. I’ve always tried to become a better person. Even though my children think of me as a saint…I am not. Ha, ha! I help as many people as I can and try to be pleasant with everyone and share Christ’s Love, whether they like me or not. A month or so ago our Pastor gave his homily on The Golden Rule. That got me to thinking that I had to be nice to EVERYONE and speak first at times, instead of waiting for them to speak to me first. This doorknob story got me to thinking. We have lots of doorknobs in our house and every time I open one I’m now reminded, ‘what can I do to help the person in that room?’ The great doorknob is our front door going out into the world!! Now I’m asking myself ‘ what can I do to make this world a better place?’ Today it was smiling at people on my quick trip to HEB and saying kind and encouraging words to the cashier and the young man bagging my items. These doorknobs really got me thinking! Thank you!! A quick story…one day I had gone with my sister in law to a Dr. appt with my brother. My brother had suffered a stroke which left him without speech and paralyzed on his left side. He was able to walk with a cane but I still had to hold him to make sure he wouldn’t fall. My sister had gone into the office and we were told to stay in the car. Well my brother got anxious and wanted to go in. There was no stopping him from trying to get out of the car. So here I go around to help him. We’re walking down the sidewalk and I’m holding my brother on one arm and my nephew on my other arm…who also happens to be partially blind and an adult with special needs. Coming towards us was a couple leaving the Drs. office. She simply looked at me and smiled and very caringly put her hand on my shoulder as we walked by. I had tears in my eyes as I felt the stress relieved from me. I don’t know who this angel was but I will never forget her. A simple gesture can mean so much.
Thank you so very much, Julie, for that touching response to our latest post, “Polishing the Doorknobs.” You are absolutely correct in writing that there are so many doorknobs in our lives that we most like pass the majority of them by without realizing the kind of impact we can make on the lives of others, especially when we do not procrastinate and waster this preciously limited time here on earth. Over and over again we realize that simple gestures are the best and often overlooked and underestimated. As human beings, we not only communicate verbally, but also through our actions. Sometimes, all it takes is the smallest gesture to brighten someone’s day. Whether it’s a small gesture to show your love to family, or kindness to someone random on the street, engaging in little acts of kindness can make the people around you feel good. You’ll feel good, too, because of it. God bless you always, Julie, and thank you for responding to us. Read you next time!
“Maybe God created the rain to remind us that life isn’t always a sunny day.”
― Val Irvin Mabayo
This is a beautiful lesson. It was touching and brought tears to my eyes. I can relate to this message. I have myself been worried about something that is out of my control, but at the same time requires my full effort. God placed a particular goal in my heart and in my life that I believe will allow me to not only advance in my career but will allow me to serve my community. This journey has been difficult and is not over. In fact the hardest part is yet to come. I have wanted to quit …and still have those moments. But I have to remind myself to have faith that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be.
Thank you so very much, Priscilla, for your kind thoughts and expressions of hope and resilience. During stressful times, when unpaid taxes still lie on the table, the children argue upstairs, and images of war flash across the news, hope and patience seem hard to come by. Worry seems inevitable. But how much can we really gain from all our worriying? Consider this quote: “Worry is like a good rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” Another way to think of the futility of worry is to imagine someone carrying around a suitcase of old junk that he or she doesn’t use. If they complained to you about their aching back, wouldn’t you suggest they just drop the suitcase?
But we tend to do the same thing, feeling troubled, tired, and pulled off-balance. We hang on to our burden because (we think) something bad might happen if we let it go. But the answer is so easy. If we simply let go—if we trust in the Lord—we suddenly feel lighter. God bless you always, Priscilla. Life is good; it is so much better with Jesus.
Very nicely said. It puts things in perspective. I often find myself worrying about things that are beyond my control. I remember someone saying if you pray, why worry, if you worry, why pray.
Exactly, Eusebio. Faith is living, breathing gift from God that keep on giving. Thank you for your comments.
If you worry, you are a worrier because your mind is saturated with worry thoughts. To counteract these, mark every passage in your Bible that speaks of faith, hope, and courage.
– Norman Vincent Peale
If you worry, you are a worrier because your mind is saturated with worry thoughts. To counteract these, mark every passage in your Bible that speaks of faith, hope, and courage.
– Norman Vincent Peale – Have A Great Day
What a beautiful writing to meditate on. Our Life journey. Fear,anxiety, betrayal, procrastination and so many other obstacles we face. I can say I have faced many and know more are to come. My reflection is to look back on how did I get through those rough days. I must learn from my trials. My Lord and my God has never abandoned me. He has showed me every time. My prayers are unceasing with him.He walks every step with me and I cling to him on this journey. We must surrender everything to him and trust with faith that he has a perfect plan for everything.
Thank you for sharing your story. You have brought us so many blessings and God used you to help many and continues.
We must all put on the Amor of Christ Ephesians 6.
Continue to pray for each other.
God bless you always
Thank you Denice for gracing these pages with your thoughts and reflection. I especially appreciated the reference to the Armor of Christ. For our readers and followers, I would like to add the following: The armor of God is an analogy in the Bible that reminds Christians about the reality of spiritual battle and describes the protection available to them. The full armor of God that Christians are called to put on comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit. There is so much strength and power when Christians pray for each other with the same force and energy that the Lord has placed in each one of us. God bless you always!
What a great reminder! How much has been given to me in my life. I feel like I have received a host of tools to get through the most difficult times in life, but have not always used these tools leading me to disappointment and sadness at times. The reality of life is that right now I am using these tools and even doing a self study on how to use them more effectively and the results have been truly pleasant and amazing. Thank you for this article as it touches on my very present experiences.
Thank you Gabriel for sharing your thoughts with all of us this fine summer day. Yes it is true that each and every one of us have received a “host of tools” to help navigate through this valley of tears. I also 100% agree with insightful observation that the levels of disappointment and anxiety are directly proportional to the effective use of those very tools. Let us all be encouraged to discover the treasures deposited within each of us and move forward in faith and courage. All the best to you through your navigational experiences!
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
So many things to process in this article, but like so many of your reflections, the underlying theme of “hope” stood out to me. No matter how overwhelming a situation seems, there is always hope and we have hope because we have faith and our faith leads to love (1 Cor 13:13). All too often our plans don’t always work out the way we wanted and we can let that disappointment defeat us and take us somewhere we weren’t meant to go. God does truly work in mysterious ways, for the disappointment we experience by not getting our way can, and often does, lead to something that turns out to be far better in the end. I find that our bitterness and anger at not getting what we wanted is because we have wandered off the path that God has placed before us – a path only he knows. We struggle to remain on it because it is not the path we want to follow or intended to follow. If we simply “let go and let God,” we will find that His way may not be our way but it is the best way. Thank you, again, for another great and inspiring story. God Bless!
Thanks, Ron for your comments. They are most appreciated. When we think about trials, troubles, challenges, and struggles today, we usually think of them only in negative terms — as things to be avoided or “fixed” as soon as possible. But what we have discovered is that true glory is found in the struggle that makes powerful people stand with and for the Lord. These are exciting, troubling, but redemptive times. Thanks for being part of the courageous community.
“One hello can change a day. One hug can change a life. One hope can change a destiny.”
― Lynda Cheldelin Fell
What a wonderful story! Procrastination… I will admit that I am guilty of it more than I should be. I used to not put things off and accomplished tasks when they needed to be done. As I have gotten older I guess that there are just some things that I dread doing, so I put it off until I can’t anymore. I do agree that there are some things that should not be put off, telling your loved ones you love them, have an extra dessert even though you shouldn’t. Keep writing your stories, I really enjoy them!!
Thanks as always, Denise. Of course, I loved the part about that extra dessert. lol
God bless you always. And thanks. For everything.
So true! What a great way to start with a story with a moral and mantra to live by. I love these short literary works. Your experience was felt by all of us close to you. It brings such great joy to read about the wonderful outcome, that came from such a treacherous time in our community. And those doorknobs haha that hit the spot! . Keep them coming Caro.
Daniel, God bless you for your comforting and encouraging words. I am so happy you benefit from my writing. Yes it was treacherous but Jesus is far above the evil and cunning of twisted minds. God bless you and all your family.
It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”— Doe Zantamata
I’ve certainly polished my share of doorknobs and still do at times when I’m avoiding a monumental task at hand. Your writing inspires me to never give up hope and to remember, “I can do all things through God who strengthens me.” This particular time in the history of our country, maybe even the world is teaching us to never give up on God’s love and miracles.
Your remarks are so poignant and meaningful, Margie. I am deeply honored by the effects of these posts as expressed by your kind responses. God bless us all, always!
“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” – Max Lucado
As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.
–Dr. Steve Maraboli
What a great reminder of how we should all be working on ourselves and using our God-given talents to help others, too! When we give ourselves time to replenish, rejuvenate, meditate, be in deep prayer, etc. we give ourselves the time to appreciate the small things we come across. Whether that’s helping an elderly put up their groceries and were able to see they needed help because we weren’t stuck to our phone screen or opening the door for someone with a cane or walker and again not stuck to our phone screen, etc. We all need to take moments of being in that moment and using every opportunity given to give someone a glimpse of the love God gives us. Another great article! Keep them coming!!!!
Welcome back, Veronica and thank you for the time you spend to respond to our latest post. I truly appreciated the thought that “When we give ourselves time to replenish, rejuvenate, meditate, be in deep prayer, etc. we give ourselves the time to appreciate the small things we come across.” It has become increasingly obvious to me that we do overlook so many of the small things that can become big things if we are not careful. The wisdom is to make each day count and give thanks to God for all of it. Thanks again for celebrating with us these grace-filled days of summer. Pray for us, please.
Wowzer! Yesterday’s ups and downs are history and although I like to relish the ups and forget the downs of life, it is hard to let go of them both. What I found profound in this post is the image of the “doorknob”! It reminded me of the pregnant pauses I have taken in life to clear the lump in my throat before grabbing the “doorknob” leading into a senior managers office. It reminded me of those times where I procrastinated precious days and hours before rolling my sleeves up and writing that point paper that was on the tip of my tongue all along. Only to lose sleep, miss a child’s school or sport event knowing I could have down both with ease. The “doorknob” that bumps your bump on the way out of a failed briefing. Life is NOW. The opportunity to excel is NOW. Faith is knowing that Jesus is always with us!
Thank you for always finding the images and words I need to focus my life on – Now!
Thank you so very much for your response. I think we all need a refresher on how to live in the present moment. Here are some things I have learned to do these past 8 years or so: Sit in silence. Turn off my phone. Close my laptop. Just sit, close my eyes, and be silent for a few moments. When a thought pops into my head, I let it go and refuse to engage with it. I practice doing nothing and stop being so busy and trying fill every moment. Stop agreeing to do more than I have time to do. Stop planning tomorrow and the day after and the day after that. Instead, I take some time to do absolutely nothing and develop awareness. I am slowly understanding what it means to be a witness to the life I am living, and all the grace-filled moments the Lord supplies. Prayer is so remarkably healing and necessary. Let us continue to focus on life right now.
Another beautifully written article.
Thank you for sharing with us your literally talent. I love the symbolism of knobs and the doors they open and close.
More the knobs of life are polished, more alive is the user of doors. They symbolize Chapters of life opening hope and closing the past of mixed experiences. Through the last door, we all will walk through, will be seen what kind of life was lived. Hopefully our lives will be well polished – a life well lived. I am sorry for the brutality you experienced in your life. I celebrate with you your strength and perseverance. It still amazes me, at my old age, how many are there who so easily discard another human being. Unfortunately, Humanity and Civility are rare commodities.
While we cannot change the past, I realize and have finally learned that the one thing that is most empowering for us is that we somehow grasp the bigger picture and universal application from all the avalanche of disappointment, betrayal, and that kind of loneliness that stings. I have begun to spot the sounds of pandering, cosmic rationalizing, and silly, meaningless “Peter Pan” advice. I won’t offer it and I can’t listen to it. I just live forward with the greatest amount of faith that my Jesus breathes into me. We can use our understanding of past events and learn from them to inform our future, to make a more fair, just, and positive future for ourselves and our society. Thank you again for responding to this post. I trust that you know full well the sentiments and motivation behind each word and syllable.
Darkest water and deepest pain
I wouldn’t trade it for anything
‘Cause my brokenness brought me to you
And these wounds are a story you’ll use
So I’m thankful for the scars
‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know your heart
And I know they’ll always tell of who you are
So forever I am thankful for the scars
Now I’m standing in confidence
With the strength of your faithfulness
And I’m not who I was before
No, I don’t have to fear anymore
So I’m thankful for the scars
I can see, I can see
How you delivered me
In your hands, in your feet
I found my victory
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow.’
–Mary Anne Radmacher
Love it!!❤️
Golly thanks, Wally.
“As sons we have that choice: we can own what was done to us and choose to do better or we can do worse and continue a theme of broken men. [Broken men break other men. Broken men break women. Broken men break families. Broken men create broken legacies].”
― Ross Victory
I can’t wait to share this with our Sons! We were talking about procrastination just today. You somehow managed to sum up beautifully what I was hoping to convey. I know it will inspire them as it has inspired me. Thank you! God bless you! God’s timing is always perfect!
Yes, Mary Ann! God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect. Even the word procrastination has the seeds of its own self-destruction. It literally means “pro-tomorrow,” which is actually impossible because tomorrow never comes. When it’s here, it is the present and still with important moments lost in the crossfire of busyness and frenetic paces. Thank you for the time to respond. I know you realize how much that means.
“Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.”
Beautifully written! I had a client who said to me recently “We are handed a deck of cards at the beginning of this life and we must either learn to play or lose completely.” He said this while telling me about the tragic loss of his 16 year old daughter. We must absolutely learn to live and live and persevere in the life we are living today, not the life we are waiting to live.
Thank you so much, Lyndsay for your comment. I love the image of the deck of cards and how we learn to win or lose. Nothing beats living in the present moment because that is who we are and where we live. We are only given enough grace for the present moment and anything else just makes us worry. God bless you always! Thanks again for responding.
“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” — Roy T. Bennett
I love everything that you write, but this one went through the ceiling for me! I read it and I just cried and cried because it so deeply touched me and focused me on the most important things in life. I could just envision these parents telling this little boy about how he was saved by a Slurpee! So beautiful and so real! The present moment! Be here now and see the opportunities that God is giving you right now in the present moment! Such great advice and the way to true joy and peace! By the way… I do remember you polishing door knobs a few times in that old building! You’ve come a long way my friend!
A thousand thank you sentiments straight over to you, good Buddy! Yes I think it is safe to say that we have all come along way since those “polishing days” — in one way or another! It brings me tremendous joy and relief to know that all the people that have ever believed in us can praise the Lord Jesus in gratitude that their prayers for us have been answered, sometime 100 times over. May we always remember where we have been and look forward to the great things that still lie ahead!
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love (Jesus), something to do (serve), and something to hope for (Heaven).” Congratulations old friend, we’ve got all three!!