Doors that Only God Can Open....Or Close

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Written By Carol McLeod

I often pray a prayer that starts like this, “God, open a door that only YOU can open!” How I love the God Who opens doors ... doors of opportunity ... doors of relationship ... doors of ministry ... doors of destiny. But, I must tell you, I have been pondering lately my extreme gratitude that God has loved me enough to close doors as well. As I look back at my life from a vantage point of over 5 decades ... I am just as grateful for the doors that God has strategically kept closed as for the ones that He has deliberately opened.

I am grateful for the many times (shamefully too many!) that God closed a door on a relationship during my dating years. How grateful I am that God chose Craig for me and didn’t allow me to choose based on teen-age hormones or young adult selfishness.

I am grateful that God gently held doors of destiny closed tightly for me until the right season in life. I am grateful that during my years of mothering that the doors to publishing contracts remained closed so that I could focus on the 5 most important things in my life. Little hearts ... fingerprints on every window ... bedtime stories ... PBJ sandwiches and little arms around my neck.

I am grateful that I don’t always get to live where I want to live but where God needs me to live.

I am grateful that God’s ways truly are higher than my ways ... and He knows what doors to miraculously open ... and what doors to patiently keep closed.

I do believe that there are times that I must persevere in prayer for the best doors to be opened for me and for those that I love. Some doors remained unopened simply because I don’t stay on my knees long enough ... or often enough. There are some doors that have remained regretfully closed just because of my lack of persistence in prayer.

And for those closed doors, I repent and pray again. I ask God to give me the resolve of Daniel ... of Joseph ... and of Hannah.

I have learned that it is only in the prayer closet of my heart that I discover which doors were never meant to be opened ... and which doors I must prayer harder and longer about.

It is in the prayer closet of my heart that I experience the power of God Who always opens the best doors for me.

It is in the prayer closet of my heart that I relinquish the door knob of all of my future doors ... and safely place my hand in His.

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Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
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