A Foot in the Door
The gas stations of my childhood no longer exist. Gone are the days when you pulled up to a facility, rolled the window down, and received a warm welcome from the gas station attendant. He approached the vehicle with a smile on his face and an oily cloth in his hands. There’s no telling how many times he asked, “Fill her up?” during his shift. He was there to serve, and he was happy to do it. He pumped your gas, checked your oil, added oil if needed, cleaned your windshield, and checked and adjusted the air pressure in your tires. To top it off, he collected payment from your window while you relaxed comfortably in your vehicle. You need not exit the vehicle unless you required a visit to the restroom. Those restrooms were usually located on the side of the main building and were the size of a small closet. They contained only one toilet and a sink with a mirror above it. During a road trip, when I was about 6 years old, I learned something new about my paternal grandmother. During a stop for gas, she asked me to accompany her to the restroom. As we approached the facility, she turned to me and instructed, “You stand outside and put your foot between the door and the facing. I don’t want to get trapped inside.” My grandmother was claustrophobic!
I don’t care if the building had 50 floors and she needed to get to floor 49, she was not using an elevator. This is how it went. I climbed a flight of stairs and opened the stairwell door while she remained on the floor below with the door open. When I yelled, “OK! I’m holding the door open.” She would allow her door to close and climb to my level. Then, she would hold that door open while I trudged forward to open the door of the next level. We followed that routine over and over until we reached our desired floor. She would not budge until she knew there was an open door ahead of her. Looking back, I can see God all in this scenario. What a lesson.
I know there are times in my life when I wanted to move forward, but didn’t have the strength to close the door to my current situation and take a step forward in faith. I realize now that God often closes doors securely before opening a new door forward for his children. The challenge is not lagging with a foot in the door to our past.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
My Grandma holding me on my first Christmas in 1964.
