Knocking

“Ask, and it shall be given unto You; seek and you shall find; Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7
 
     Sweet Pea started swimming. Her first year on a swim team, it has been a learning process. Swim caps, one-piece competitive swimsuits, and a good set of goggles now accessorize her water wardrobe.

     A beautiful summer evening, The air was cool with little humidity. Coming home early from swim practice, my husband unlocked the door, preceding both Sweet Pea and I into the house. It was garbage day in our neighborhood. Our empty trash can stood at the curb ready to be put away. Sweet Pea and I staggered into the house ladened with swim bag and towels.

     “To the bathroom,” I ordered, “let’s get you out of your swimsuit and into the shower.” I ran down the hallway to dump the wet towels into the laundry machine. Scooting back to the bathroom, I noticed the house door stood wide open. A memory of a recent conversation with my husband flitted through my mind. He had voiced his preference for the front door to stay closed behind the screen door to save on air-conditioning. Taking this to heart, I mindfully closed and locked the front door.

     In a hurry to get Sweet Pea through the shower, I started the bathwater. The loud pummeling streams soon filled the bathroom. 

     “Come on,” I yelled above the gushing noise, “Out of that swimsuit.”
     “Can you help me?” Sweet Pea asked as she entered the bathroom. All I will say is it was a comedy of errors peeling Sweet Pea out of her swimsuit. We giggled and shrieked with laughter. So loud was our laughter mixed with the running bathwater, that we were oblivious to any other noise. After ten minutes of tugging and pulling, I finally emerged the victor. As we celebrated our accomplishment, a faint thumping and buzzing sound caught my attention. Is that the bell on Sweet Pea’s cash register? I wondered, The microwave? I listened more intently. the fire alarm?

     “What’s that?” asked Sweet Pea. She looked around with bright eyes and curiosity. The loud running water muffled the noises, making it difficult to identify its source. Sweet Pea’s eyes widened.

     “Mommy,” Sweet Pea asked, turning to me, “Did you lock Daddy out of the house?”
     I froze, mouth open to deny. Then, the memory of our empty trash can needing to be put away along with me locking the front door surfaced. Realization struck. My body began to shake.

     Laughter convulsed through me, forcing me to grip the sink to stay upright. Tears ran down my cheeks as I screamed with uncontrollable mirth. Sweet Pea joined in the laughter, her peals layering upon mine. The two of us stood shrieking, clutching our bellies and gasping for breath. All the while, the knocking and the door-bell ringing continued its steady beat.

     “I’ll go get him,” Sweet Pea giggled, ready to race out the bathroom door.
     “You jump in the shower,” I ordered, “I’ll go get him.” I confess here and now, I did not rush to open the front door. Instead, I walked to Sweet Pea’s room to grab her a change of clean clothes. In hindsight, perhaps I should have let my husband inside the house first. But so doubled over with laughter was I, I could not think straight nor move quickly. Even Sweet Pea, who was now in the shower, could not stop laughing.

     The ding-gong of the doorbell and the rap-tap-tapping continued as I dropped off Sweet Pea’s clothing. I wish I could tell you I was composed and in control of my emotions. But hilarity still filled my every pore. For this reason, it may have appeared that I took my sweet-old time. To the outside observer, it may have even sounded like I was nonchalantly sauntering rather than rushing to open the door. But with the sound of the constant pounding and ringing, all I could do was stumble forward in laughter.

     I also may have paused as I stood before the closed door. But in my defense, if it happened, it was only because I could not straighten to stand nor catch my breath. Still crying with laughter, my fingers fumbled to unlock the front door.

     “Hello, my husband,” I smiled, throwing open the door, “Did I lock you out?”
     If you talk to my husband, his story and perspective might be slightly different. In fact, it might be contradictory at best. Yet, I assure each one of you, that it is equally hilarious. I also assure you, this unintentional incident has garnered much teasing and laughter for days to follow. But the core truth remains the same. Knock and the door shall be opened.
     With the Lord, sometimes our knocking results in immediate access. Sometimes, however, our knocking does not garner instantaneous results. Like my husband, we must persevere and continue knocking, praying and trusting in God’s timing with bold expectation. As we knock, we also need to continue seeking God’s Will with humble and submissive hearts. For the door on which we are knocking might be one of our own choosing and not the Lord’s. Yet, we can be confident if God closes one door, He will open another. And this door which He opens will be better than the one we first pursued.
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     May we trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. And if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, we know He will direct our path and satisfy us with good things. Friends and family, I encourage you to keep knocking on the door and seeking God for His direction. He will answer you in His timing and in His way. Just remember…do not forget your house keys!
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