D is for Door, Plus a Think-Back Tuesday

A few thoughts about doors.

1. I love red front-entry doors, so much so that a few years ago I changed ours from hunter green to cherry red. In a sea of neutrals, a red door "pops" and says, "Won't you please come in?" Here's my front door at Christmas two years ago.


2. In college I remember my favorite English professor, Sister Colette, who spoke softly and encouraged often. She said to the class on the first day of American Lit 101, "My door is always open. Even if it's closed, it's always open to you. You are never interrupting me." What an indescribably rare gift to know that you are not a bother to someone, especially a busy person.

3. Years ago I believed that speaking in tongues was for real, even though it sounded weird and I never felt that I'd received that gift from the Holy Spirit. What I did not believe, however, was that people who were interpreting tongues weren't just making up things to "save face" for the pastors who had allowed tongues to be given from the front of the church. (If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about, read Acts 2:1-4 and First Corinthians *chapters 12 and 14) in the Bible. Acts is right after the book of John and describes in detail how the first Christian church was designed to function, with multiple gifts.)

One Sunday, however, my cynicism changed to undeniable recognition of truth about the issue. Standing in stoic resistance to (and a bit embarrassed by) the public tongue that was being given, a strange thing happened to me. The goobledegook I was hearing with my natural ears was coming to my mind in plain English. I could tell that the tongue had repeating phrases, so the English came repeated. The words were something like this: 'I am the Door. There is no other way to the Father. I am the Door."

I hesitated to share the interpretation for fear I'd feel as freaky as those I'd once judged. I wanted to see if other people would go to the front and read something similar, to confirm the words I was hearing. Not one, not two, but three people read the scriptures about Jesus being the Door, or the Gate, the only Way. From that day on, I have heard tongues (ie which sound like a garbled language to other people) in plain English, and have had the boldness to interpret them in a public forum so as to minister God's love, peace, encouragement, or warning to others.

4. When trying to fall asleep, I have to have the door closed. Without it, I don't feel cozy.

5. I love Tudor doors. The thick, heavy archways seem lifted from the pages of a storybook. Step through one of those doors and experience a magical visit inside.


Think-Back Tuesday Questions:

1. What is the color of your front door? Did you choose it, or was it chosen by a former owner?
Would you change the color if you could?

2. At whose home or office do you always feel welcome? Their door is "always open to you even if it's closed"?

3. Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to the Heavenly Father, the only Way to receive forgiveness of your sins? Or do you believe that you have to do something to earn forgiveness (ie penance, feeling guilty, cutting yourself, giving money to the poor, attending X number of masses/services, etc?)? Do you believe that there is a real heaven and a real hell and that Jesus decides who goes where at the end of one's life?

4. Do you sleep with the bedroom door open or closed?

5. Can you remember a special door? What made it so?