Several years ago I heard a message preached at church and there was one phrase that the minister shared that spoke volumes to me. It was all about a ‘shut door’. It’s like that one phrase was illuminated in such a way that I could in no way not ignore it. I went home read around it, did some research, and realised that there is a lot of power in the concept of a shut door. So where we would ordinarily consider a shut door as something negative, in various aspects of our lives, I would like to offer a different
perspective.
To shut or to close is to put something in a position to obstruct it; to stop it, hinder or block it in one way or the other. But to shut or close can also keep something exclusive or safe. Consider the scenario of being in an aeroplane. Could you imagine if you were in the plane, it starts going down the runway, and then the plane starts to take off and the passengers suddenly notice the door was not shut!! The terror, the panic, and fear that would set in would be unreal, in fact, it would be like something from a horror movie. Most of us would be running, screaming, and doing everything that could be done to shut that aeroplane door before the unthinkable happened.
There is power in a shut door, and I would argue we all need shut doors in our lives. A shut door is a definitive hindering of movement, entry, or action. Have you ever had someone come unexpectedly to your front door? They’ve knocked on it, and you’ve opened the door just the teeniest, tiniest bit because you are not sure who is there. If it’s someone who looks a bit shady and you wouldn’t want to let them in your home, you are quickly able to shut the door. And it it’s someone you know you happily open the door and possibly let them in.
I’d like to share a personal story if I may, as that very situation happened to me. Several years ago I was walking to my own front door very late in the evening, I’d unlocked it and went in, quickly closing it behind me. There was however a knock straight away and as you can imagine I was a little startled. I lived alone at the time, was not expecting any visitors and I had literally just come through the door. I wondered who on earth it could be, so I unlocked and cautiously opened the door a little bit and it was a man unknown to me, who proceeded to say “I saw you come into your house love, can I get a pound?”. Whilst he was speaking I sent up a quick prayer for help and protection, as you do, told him okay, and then shut the door. Thank God there was the ability to shut the door because if there wasn’t this random stranger may have just walked through my door!
Shut doors in other areas of our lives may look like an unsuccessful job interview, failed relationships, a lost contract, or the closing of a business. Whilst these shut doors are often devastating and unexpected, cast your mind back if you will, and consider previous ‘shut doors’ over the years. Have there been lost jobs, a redundancy, or a friendship that ended? Did any of these lead to a surprising new opportunity, more time that allowed you to refocus, new connections, and new roles? Sometimes shut doors serve a purpose in allowing us to reconfigure a particular aspect of our lives and move in a different direction. A direction that will hopefully allow all parts of our personal and professional lives to be even more
purposeful.
If in any area of your life, it seems like doors keep shutting, can I encourage you that you are definitely not alone in that experience. Consider that in a few weeks or months the reasons for the shut doors may be better understood, as you navigate a new avenue of life. As a professional in your industry, your ability to adapt and manoeuvre is a skill often developed against the backdrop of shut doors, failures and loss. As cliché as it may sound, shut doors can really lead to the right open doors.
Francesca McDowall, April 2023