I recently changed offices here at Awe Star. My new office is bigger, and has more room to spread out. I like it.

The only thing about my office that isn't great is that my door sticks. When I try to close or open it, it drags on the carpet in one spot. This brings my door to a halt when I am trying to push or pull. It's kind of annoying.

I remember when I was very young, my parents decided to hang a new door at the front entrance to the house. My dad was not handy. I loved him dearly, but he did not pass on any mechanical skills to Brad or me. Even so, I still have vague memories of him setting up saw horses and borrowing a planer to help the door to fit right.

He patiently drug that planer over the areas of the door that seemed to be causing it to fit poorly. He hung and rehung that silly door. He planed and planed. I sat and watched...I got bored...it took too long.

How did dad have the patience to keep taking that stupid door down and working it until it fit?

You know what? He did it so well that it has hung at the front entrance for most of my life.

Too many times, while we are pursuing the will of the Father, we hit a snag and stop. We park in that spot and get mired in self pity. Our spiritual hands are thrown up in disgust believing that if we were supposed to proceed the door would not have drug to a pause.

The reality is that just because the door sticks, does not mean we are supposed to stop proceeding.

Clearly, there are times when the Lord closes doors or windows before us. But other times, our weariness is revealed by our lack of pursuit of that which He desires for us.

My office door works, but in time it will wear out the carpet if it doesn't get adjusted.

There are times when we need to look at our method of pursuing His will. Is our current avenue of pursuit going to erode a relationship and do we need to refine our methodology? Yep, sometimes that is the case. It happens to me, and it happens to you.

This is where Beej was effective. He did not bulldoze the path before him. He did not grind to a halt with obstacles. He moved along at a pace that was constantly looking to the Father for cues. If there was a pause, He was already in the Word seeking answers. He knew how to proceed, and if he didn't, he was not afraid to ask for wise counsel.

Just because the way before me seems to have reduced light penetrating the portal does not mean I should stop and plow a new path. I have had to learn patience. Sometimes, I need to slow down and pay attention along the way, because I am about to learn something that will help me pass through the entry with greater ease. I find I am even more effective in my Father's work when I yield in these moments of pause.

God bless you this weekend!

dad