Doors

“I am the door. 

 If anyone enters by Me,

 he will be saved,

 and will go in and out

 and find pasture.”   (John 10:9 NKJV)

I was never one to take much notice of doors until I managed the Receiving department at one of the five Home Depot Stores in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  Up until that point, doors were simple a means to get in and out of a room, a house, or a closet.  A large part of my responsibilities in Receiving was to oversee the unloading of the trucks that came in throughout the late afternoon and early evening hours.  Since the position for a night Receiving Associate was left unfilled for much of my tenure, I also played an active roll in the actual unloading of the nightly freight.

While I was there, I began to take notice of the wide assortment of door styles, shapes and sizes that came in with the multiple loads that we received from various manufacturers each week.  There are the common wooden doors made from almost any kind of tree imaginable, metal doors, composite doors and plastic doors!  There are some very exquisite looking doors as well as those that are very plain, simple and functional.  Some of the doors came packed in a single door pallet while other were shipped in multiple door packing frames.  The multiple packs were the trickiest ones to maneuver into place on the very top of the tall metal racks that lined the Milling Department.  My heart would always be in my mouth as I gently swung the load high above the fork lift into the spot that never seemed big enough to fit the pallet!

Since that exposure to doors back in Oklahoma and with my more recent experience as a Merchandising Supervisor over the Milling department for multiple Home Depots in Northern California, I have begun to observe doors in a whole new light.  The front door on a family home really seems to set the tone for the house.  Take our little planned community for example.  Most of the homes are similarly designed and any changes or improvements must go through the association’s design committee.  The majority of the cluster homes have plain front doors in one of three or four approved colors.  There is not much to set them apart.  The houses and the surrounding landscape are meant to blend in harmony with each other. 

One of our neighbors down the meandering path to the east of our home recently had a new entrance door installed.  It came as a nice looking white wooden door with a few simple designs in the upper part, a small glass viewing window and some ornate looking brushed stainless hardware.  I commented on the new door to my wife one day as we took our daily walk.  Then a few days later I was taken by a pleasant surprise as the door had been painted a deep burgundy hue.  That color made all the difference in the world.  Our neighbor’s house, which for all intent and purpose looks identical to ours, was suddenly set apart and made to stand out by the addition of the new door with its stunning color tone!  The door not only made the house seem more high end and luxurious, but it also gave the home a more friendly and inviting sense about it. 

I imagine the door that Jesus defined in our scripture above, as a set of double light Oak doors.  Strong ornately designed, large enough for any or many at a time to go through, but yet friendly and inviting to all who would choose to enter in.  John 10:9 says that whoever comes through His door will be saved and then be able to go in and out of any circumstance in this life and find pasture.  It reminds me of the 23^rd Psalm where David told of the Good Shepherd whose His followers would “lie down in green pastures” and be led “besides still waters.”  (KJV)

Jesus is also a safe door where we can enter in and be totally secure from any hardship, any lack, any temptation, any sickness or disease, and from any criticism or abuse.  In the next verse Jesus completely removes any remaining doubts or questions by declaring that “I have come in order that you might have life---life in all its fullness.”  (Good News Bible)  Now that’s the door that I definitely want to go knock on and go right in when He joyfully opens it up for me!  How about you?  Won't you join me in making that door to be the only one that you use as you go in and out of the various items on your daily schedule of events?

Have a terrific day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”