Open Windows

A few years back we prayed to increase our mission effectiveness. The opportunity came for us to help the Hmong Church by giving them space to meet in our facility. They met with us for a year until they had nearly tripled in size, and were able to purchase their own building in Decatur. Our prayers were answered and the Lord opened a door for the gospel to the Hmong people.

As I thought about open doors I remembered a time when the church I pastored wanted to reach the Hispanic population in our community. We put together a van to take food and the gospel to the soccer fields. At first our ministry was appreciated. However, after a few weeks they stopped coming to our van and made it clear that our help was not wanted. We saw a door suddenly close.

Soon after this a couple joined our church.  The wife was deaf and the husband interpreted for her. We also had another family who had a deaf son. One day his mother told me that her son really enjoyed watching the older man interpret for his wife.  They began to sit together and the older man interpreted for both of them. In time the number of deaf people attending our church grew into a deaf Sunday School class, and then a deaf Church. God closed one door but opened another.

I have often heard it said that when God closes a door He opens a window. That statement confuses me. It has always been my experience that closed doors lead to other doors that God is opening for us.

When I search the scriptures for windows I found something interesting. There are times that God opens windows but not for us to go through. God opens windows to send us His blessings.

To the prophet Malachi God said, “’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of Hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” (Malachi 3:10, nkjv)

Doors are for opportunities for us. Windows are for blessings from God. Whether God opens or closes a door I look for a window, not as a way of escape, or as way to a new opportunity. I look for windows because I know God is looking for opportunities to bless me. He blesses me when I give, as He promised to Malachi. He also blesses me when I go through His open door.

Look for doors AND windows from God. He always has a plan and a blessing for us.

Bro. Robin

Overwhelming Joy

Growing up in Missouri one of my favorite winter traditions was sledding. We lived on the top of a hill and depending on the amount of snow we had several options. After a fresh snowfall the road from the top of the hill to the creek at the bottom became impassable for cars, and perfect for sleds. It was a long run, fast in places, with three big turns.

The last turn was the most difficult to make. If you made it that far you either crashed into brush on the outside of the turn or, if you were lucky enough to make the turn, you had to try to stop before you ended up in the creek.

The best part of the day was after sled traffic packed the snow and it became possible to sled from the top all the way to the bottom without crashing, flipping or slowing down. People from the whole neighborhood would spend the day on the hill to enjoy the fun while it lasted.

Its funny how I remember so clearly sledding down the hill but remember so little walking back up, dragging my sled. We actually spent a lot more time going up than down. But the joy of sledding down the hill, even though it passed so quickly, completely overshadowed the drudgery of walking back up. A little joy can completely compensate for a lot of difficulty.

Jesus talked about how sorrow can be turned to joy. He said, “When a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world.” (John 16:21) He compared this joy to the joy His disciples will have when they see Him again.

We experienced this kind of joy first hand last December when we welcomed our new granddaughter, (Robyn Loriean Marsh), into this world. We were anxious for our daughter as she went into surgery. None of us wanted her to experience the pain we knew was coming. Later we saw her with her new baby in her arms. The pain was surpassed by overwhelming joy.

That is what Jesus does so often in our lives. He is able to take the pain that life dishes out and replace it with overwhelming joy. Jesus said, “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

Bro Robin