“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” – Revelations 3:8 (NLT)
My mom used to say, “When God closes one door, He opens another. There have been times over the years that I have wanted something so badly, and yet the ‘door’ was closed.
A few years after my husband died, I found myself wanting to move home, home being the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. But nothing worked out. I didn’t have the money or a place to live. There was always something blocking my way of moving back to the U.P. It got to the point that I was so discouraged and depressed, feeling like I was never going to get there, that I stopped thinking about it. I felt very trapped.
Fast forward, many years later, when I got a cancer diagnosis. I was in Columbus, Ohio, at the James Cancer Hospital, in a small holding room before being wheeled into surgery. I had been praying a lot, but at that moment in time, “I said Lord, I would love to live because I feel that I haven’t had a chance to truly live yet. I have missed so many years of my life going through many difficult times, dealing with grief, despair, and so many other things, as you well know, that I want to have a chance at living and finding my purpose in life. But Lord, if it isn’t your will that I shall stay on Earth longer, and that it is time to take me home, I understand. I want what You want for me.”
When I woke up later in recovery, I couldn’t believe it at first. I knew, though, that I didn’t want to waste my time living a life filled with anxiety, despair, and depression, as I had been. He opened a door for me that day that I had wanted opened for so long. It took getting cancer, and realizing my life on Earth may be truly over, that I opened up to God and spilled my heart out to Him. I truly wanted what He wanted. That was in the middle of July, and by the end of October of that same year, I was back in the U.P., where I wanted to be for so many years.
Since that time, He has opened many doors for me and used me in ways that I never thought possible. He has allowed me to glorify Him through writing and sharing my story with others. He has allowed me to meet and talk with people throughout the world, telling them about Him.
I tell people that when things have gone awry, and depression and despair have consumed you, don’t give up. It’s easy to feel alone and that nobody cares, but know that God does. He wants us to reach out to Him, talk with Him, and commit our lives to Him. He wants to open doors for us that may have been closed before. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (ESV) It may not be when you want it, but remember that God’s timing is perfect. Be encouraged.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, tears still run down my cheeks today, thinking about Your awesomeness and Your love. You turned despair into something I could never conceive of happening. You have brought so much to my life and have graciously allowed me the chance to share my story with others. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You, and I pray that others will come to know You as I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Written by: Laurie Davis
- Some Traffic Figures - November 20, 2025
- Osborn Elected Governor - October 17, 2025
- Memorial Erected - September 15, 2025
