I’m in a season with new doors.

Not the opportune kind, I’m talking literal doors here.

Gift of a Hand Carved Door

Hubby and I bought a new house and to our delight, it came with a custom carved  front door. Hand carved from Red Oak in 1981 by Jack Wallis, the artistry and craftsmanship are exquisite. I’d never heard of this artist before because all my previous doors came from Home Depot. Shows my budget and level of class.

After googling his name from the brass door plate, I learned what a treasure we had purchased. Seems Jack has been creating stained glass masterpieces for churches, homes and businesses since 1971, each  handmade to order in Murray, Kentucky. They are not a high production factory. Orders take several months, start with the finest hardwoods which are carved, then sanded, stained and sealed to perfection. 

Southern Lace is the name of our limited edition door, of which just 500 were created, all signed and numbered. Words fail me when describing what this door means to me. I treasure it. I LOVE its detailed craftsmanship and how it came as a surprise discovery during my initial walk through. I highly value it and know it is a message from Abba to us in this new chapter of our lives.  

My initial delight upon discovering what we had turned to distress upon closer inspection. Seems the door has not been sealed and years of weather have taken their toll. Our Southern Lace bears three cracks, her stain faded and she was severely parched.  

I got busy cleaning her wood, then oiling her, applying three separate oil treatments over a three-week period. She drank it up quicker than a starved animal. My hands slick with oil, I heard the Spirit of the Lord direct my gaze to her two most prominent cracks. I sensed He was communicating that Southern Lace told the mission and ministry of this house: to be a place of refreshment for parched souls, restoration for wounded people who will regain their luster through intense oil treatments. Holy Spirit hot oil treatments. I don’t know how this will look but if Jesus brings you to it, He will bring you through it. 

Door Number Two

Door number two was a sliding glass patio door whose wood frame was so warped it refused to open. Water had penetrated the double pane glass, causing permanent condensation which obscured visibility. It had to be replaced. 

I hired a General Contractor who replaced it with a ready-made (not custom) sliding glass patio door. It now looks great and the view through it is clear, clean and makes me so happy to see the thicket of trees  that is our back yard.

Maybe the message of this door is that some doors are just meant to be kept closed. 

Closed doors can point the way to a different path. We’ve all lost out on jobs, love has slammed its door on our heart and situations have not worked out as we planned. Closed doors tell us who we are inside. They develop perseverance within our character if we allow them to. 

Door with the Troublesome Lock

Door number three has a troublesome lock. This door is a composite of several doors, actually, all with locks that are loose, ill-fitting and don’t close tightly. Kind of like when an author creates a character, assigning an amalgamation of traits from several different people but rolling them into one person. Like that.

Door number three’s hardware imperfections are not an acceptable quality in a door. Doors are supposed to lock securely to protect whatever is inside and keep out unwanted intruders. Faulty locks fail to accomplish this task. This door must be fixed. 

I’m still considering what this door represents. Its lesson has not been fully grasped but it seems to signify the uselessness of brokeness. In other words, if a lock does not lock, it is of no use to the homeowner. If a person has been assigned a divine task, yet they fail to perform it, are they of use to God? 

Surely God uses broken people as His vessels. That is NOT what I am saying. I think I’m referring to those of us who know their divine assignment, yet fail to perform it out of laziness, busyness or procrastination. How will Jesus respond to that?

Matthew 5:13 and Luke 14:34 say, “You are the salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.”

These are the stories our three doors tell.

One is a hand-carved, ornate masterpiece lovingly fashioned, yet weathered by time and cruel elements. Instead of leaving it in a state of disrepair, it was placed in the care of those who recognize its value and will tenderly restore it to a state of beauty and elegance. 

The second door was damaged beyond repair. It can be likened to a lifestyle of self-inflicted substance or alcohol abuse and self-neglect that caused irreparable injury, shortening its life. Removal was the only option, sadly.

Door number three is not performing as designed. Although it has been given good design and parts, it is not operating according to specifications. It may be repairable, but if not, it will be visiting the trash heap to make room for a new, fully functioning entryway. Along with our liberty in Christ, we bear a responsibility to perform our divine assignments. The consequences of not doing so are frightening. 

Abba Father is ready and willing to pour His oil of restoration on all cracked humanity in need of a touch from heaven.

Do you see yourself or anyone you know in any of our doors?

Categories: Devotionals Knowing God Moving/Relocating Random Meaty Truths restoration

Tagged as: closed door closed doors Jack Wallis custom wood doors Jack Wallis stained glass open door open doors restoration Revelation 3:8 uselessness of brokeness wood retoration wounded people

Kathryne

Christian author and inspirational speaker of truth that makes the darkness tremble. Author of two non-fiction books at https://www.instagram.com/tattooedking_book/