Monday, November 17, 2008

So, what's your $6 doorknob?

While in PA on our latest trip, I had a wonderful time catching up with my good friend, Andrea, while the kids enjoyed the barn party. It just so happened that the barn party was at her barn, so it was a win-win for me! She is one of those friends that you can just pick up from where you left off and just keep right on rolling. In the midst of our conversation, kids came in needing to use the bathroom and she would point them in the right direction. After a while, she commented how they had fixed the bathroom doorknob so she didn't have to rescue anyone any longer. In a tone all her own, she said something like, "how long did it take us to fix a $6 doorknob?"

Their previous bathroom doorknob didn't work - it had a special quirk that you had to know in order to get out of the bathroom. We had talked about it before, and I knew exactly what she meant.

Growing up, my family lived in a house that had a quirky doorknob for the bathroom door, too. You had to turn the handle all the way to the right or the door would not open. We had to rescue many people from our bathroom, even after the warning "you have to turn the doorknob all the way to the right".

So, why didn't we fix those doorknobs sooner? Maybe because they weren't technically "broken" - if you knew the trick, you could get out every time. However, once they were fixed - we also wondered what on earth took so long! Having the doorknob work properly certainly saved a lot of explanation and even embarassment at times. (I still vividly remember one of my sisters dates getting stuck in the bathroom once!)

As Andrea and I talked, it struck me - how many things in our lives have quirks that we do not bother to fix? Spiritually speaking. Those seemingly small, nagging things that keep us from working to our full potential. Those "$6 doorknobs".

Hebrew 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.


So - what's your $6 doorknob?

5 comments:

  1. You like to ask the hard questions don't you :o) Now I have to give that some thought....I'm sure I have one!
    Susan

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  2. Oh boy, I have a pile of $6 door knobs...I think some of them are behind a door that I don't want to open, (can I blame those on the door knob that is stuck?)...But the Lord is working on me to go replace them or get rid of them all together. I just need to be obedient. Thanks...this was a good one!

    hi-d

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  3. Wow! You are deep! To me it was an annoying doorknob, to you an object lesson. I love it! I will ponder your question on a deeper level than my honey-do list of $6 doorknobs. (that list is long by the way, poor guy)
    I do think that the conviction of the Holy Spirit and obedience to that are key to your question.
    I don't know if I can think any harder on the amount of sleep I have been getting.lol
    Andrea

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  4. Hi Shirley,
    My computer seems to be staying online today. Not sure what has been wrong and we have not fixed anything to make it better so it is a big mystery.
    I always wonder why we fight so hard with the $6 "doorknobs" in our life and yet do nothing to get them fixed...we even seem to feel more comfortable sticking with our old "knobs" so to speak and not venturing out for the ease and freedom of a new knob. I know I have a few too many old knobs hanging around...why is it so hard to put them into the junk pile where they belong? I hope to be catching up on blogging soon!
    I hope you are all doing well with your home building. Oh yeah I need to send you my address..I will try to get to that tomorrow..as for now it is nearly midnight and I am tired!

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  5. Hi, I'm visiting by way of Hearts in 1 Accord and wanted to stop by and 'meet' you.
    What a great analogy. It does make me ponder those little hindrances I purposely hang onto because I've just gotten 'used' to them. Thanks for giving me a heart-check.
    God bless,
    Brenda :)

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