I used to work out of a co-working space in Bangalore. I lived quite far away from it, and it used to take me around an hour to get there.
Naturally, I hardly ever made it there before 9, even though my work day was supposed to start at 8:30. (Hey, don’t judge me, I used to stay back late)
There was one day though, when I had an early game of basketball and happened to reach the office by 7:30am. I thought I’d get a cup of coffee, pray for a bit and then get a head start on the day.
But all my planning was futile. It turns out that the office didn’t even open before 8am.
The shutter was down and there was a heavy lock at the bottom.
I stood out there, grumbling about the security guard and his tardiness for a bit in my own head.
Before long, an employee of another organization walked in. I knew she had always been the first person to get into the office. She looked at me, confused, and asked me what I was doing outside.
I pointed at the lock and said, “What time does the security guard open the shutter?”
She looked at me, almost pitifully.
She walked towards the shutter, bent down, and removed the lock that had already been opened, and she lifted the shutter.
Turns out that the security guard would always open the lock in the morning, and keep the shutter down. And I hadn’t taken the trouble to take a closer look, because of which, I’d wasted a full half hour – grumbling and complaining.
I don’t know where you are right now in your journey, but maybe that’s you today.
Maybe you have a door in front of you that just seems like it’s locked. A door towards what your heart desires, a door on the other side of which, God has been calling you.
Maybe it’s a family decision, or a job change, or a course you need to do. Maybe it’s a surgery, or a relationship you’ve been questioning, or a certain ministry you’ve been thinking about.
You’ve made your plans , but you see the shutter down, and there’s a heavy lock at the bottom.
And you’re terrified that all your planning has gone to waste.
You’re so afraid, that you didn’t bother taking a closer look.
You’re so afraid, and disheartened, that you’ve begun to grumble – against yourself, against those around you…against God.
But what if the truth is that this obstacle you see is in fact no obstacle at all?
What if the lock is opened, and all you have to do is take a closer look? What if all you have to do is pull open the shutter and walk in?
Cause if it’s God calling you on the other side, no lock is heavy enough, and no door is large enough to keep you away .
Sometimes, the only thing that keeps you away is the illusion of an obstacle and your fear of it.
So quit grumbling, pull the shutter up, and walk through.
See you on the other side…
