when one door closes

There are so many things we wish for... hope for... dream about. Some happen, and others never come to pass... and we are left wanting. A door closed. As I reflect on the past year, what stands out most is the loss of my school job. I can honestly say that losing that job brought on a crisis of sorts... a crisis of faith. In my own eyes, it was the perfect fit... just right for my family. As the school year came to a close, so many people reminded me that when one door closes, another opens. I believed it... I trusted it... but I didn't want it. The tears, the wishing, the searching... for what I wanted. But as I wrote in my Christmas card this year... change also brings growth, adventure, and unexpected joy. Oh yes... it does. Where would I be? Right where I was... and there were other plans for this life of mine... other plans that were just waiting for change. So here I am... knowing that the plan in play is the right plan... the safe plan... the plan that is truly best for me, and my family. And it is His plan. Yes, when one door closes, another opens... and you have to take that first step, painful though it may be, to get through it. Maybe you won't see it at first... but time will tell... and His plan will unfold and there you will be... right where He wanted you... right where you needed to be. I am looking forward to what lies ahead... looking forward to a new year. There are many things I could choose to improve about myself, but resolutions aren't really me. But my hope for the new year... my prayer... is to be more open to God's plan... to not focus so much on my own. Because I have learned... that an open door is a beautiful thing.