CLOSED AND OPEN DOORS STILL HAPPEN

Saturday, October 09, 2010

This is a true story of a man and his wife who could not find peace in any manner in the Untied States. While working with the Navigators he was offered the opportunity to work in Uganda.He talked to his wife and children and they prayed. His wife said, "If that's the door God has opened for us, I'm ready for the challenge."

So they flew to Nairobi, Kenya, where he put his family up in a hotel while he rented a Land Rover and drove across the border into the country of Uganda to check out the situation.

This was just after Idi Amin's reign of terror. The first thing the man saw as he came into the village were several young kids with automatic weapons shooting them off into the sky. And he thought, "Lord are You in this?"

At the little hotel there was only one room available that he would have to share with someone. He dropped to his knees and confessed to God that he was afraid and asked God to show him that He was involved in this move. The door opened and there stood this six-foot five-inch African frowning at him and saying in beautiful English "What are you doing in my room?" and "What are you doing in my country?" He answered, "Well, I'm with a little organization called the Navigators." The African broke into an enormous grin, threw his arms around his new roommate and laughed out loud and cried, "Praise God, praise God."

The African man has been praying for two years for God to send someone to him from that organization. And he pulled out a little Scripture memory-verse pack, and at the bottom of each of the verses it read, "The Navigators, Colorado Springs, Colorado."

The door of new hope flew open for the man from Colorado. That African became a member of the man's board, helped him find a place to live, helped him rebuild a section of his home, taught him all about the culture, assisted him with the language, and became his best friend for the many years they were there, serving Christ...who "opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens."

Doors are closed. Doors are opened. Lives are changed.

(Taken and adapted from Charles R. Swindoll's wonderful book, The Mystery of God's Will)