Character Confession: When I Keep Visiting a Closed Store

I’ve never bragged about being the brightest crayon in the box.

Sometimes it takes me a few times to get a lesson through my head.

Like when I kept going to the same store.

What’s wrong with visiting the same establishment?

Nothing.

Unless it closed down.

It wasn’t a store in my neighborhood, and the first time it was on my way back from a birthday party. I parked, saw signs in the storefront and the appearance that it was open, but upon pulling on the doors to no avail, saw the thin layer of dust.

That store hadn’t been open in quite some time.

You’d think I’d keep that little fact in my head.

But nope, I went back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time I debated with myself.

Was this open, or not? It looks open. Same signs and posters in the lobby. Some traffic in the lot (which were vendors using the corner of the lot and their customers.)

So off I went, and no matter how hard I tried, those doors weren’t going to open. The dust was thicker and this time I got it.

No matter how many times and no matter how many ways, I wasn’t going to get those doors to open.

You know what? I’m like that with God.

There have been situations in my life He has given a resounding no and I just can’t get that answer through my brain. So I leave the car, walk to the storefront and pull on the doors like crazy. And they never open.

There have been times when I not only pull on the door, I bust it down.

And you know what I find?

Desolation.

God’s not going to be in my disobedience, and that’s a pretty lonely feeling.

Ask Jonah.

Ask me.

If there is something you’ve been praying about and it has been obstacle after obstacle and deep down you know that door closed, back away. Return to your car and look for a store that’s open. There you’ll find bright colors, lots of choices, peace, and fulfillment.

May you find open stores, and doors!

photobucket image is random, not a closed store that I’m aware of.