Letting the Lord Lead

Carol S Bannon has faced many roadblocks in life, and shares how she has learned to allow God to choose the best path for her. You can too. And it will be good.  

When one door closes, another opens. 

I am sure we have all been told this axiom as well as using it ourselves with our children. In fact, most of us I hope have experienced it. I know I have … and I will admit to being extremely discontented when something I was working on failed to materialize and I was forced to begin again. My mother always believed what came after the door closed would be better; I have found that is not always the case. 

Plan B for Better?

Or, I should admit, at least not in the beginning. When the proverbial door is slammed shut, when the project is a failure and I need to start from scratch, my attitude is usually one of angst, consternation, and complete frustration. Throw in a bit of vocal anger and most of my family learned to steer clear until I simmered down.  

Let’s just say I was NOT the model mother many times.  

When my children were young, I often strove for perfection and came up truly short. When I planned a holiday? One year the prize rib roast was nabbed by our dog while no one was looking. Another year the cheesecake slipped out of my hands on the way to the refrigerator and tumbled down the stairs. Vacation plans canceled, gardens not growing, date nights not materializing … many times, all of these doors I looked forward to slammed shut, and I would have to create a Plan B. 

Learn to embrace the challenges of change

As the years passed and the children grew older, I have learned to react less to life’s detours and embrace the challenges of change.  

More importantly I know we don’t have to face these challenges alone. God is, and always has been in front of every change, every door I needed to pass through. Our challenge is to discover which door we are supposed to open because God gives us choices. Choosing which door is not easy and requires constant discernment and care. It is not something to be taken lightly, and at times requires divine intervention. 

When the Israelites left Egypt and complained about their hardships, Moses told them: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) 

"Be still" in Hebrew means to be quiet, not to stand still and do nothing. Be quiet and let the Lord work. This is something very hard for us to do because we have this compulsion to be in control. Complaining seems to be our go-to reaction when circumstances don’t go the way we planned. Yet ironically, as parents we work hard teaching our children not to complain when things don’t go their way. Many times, I recall telling my children to “Stop complaining and just be quiet.”  

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) 

Allow the Lord to open the door

Finding which door, which path to take going forward, is not easy. Patience, it seems, is not one of the gifts the Holy Spirit bestows liberally on me. Thankfully I have been able to discover how to choose wisely even when emotions get in the way. Opening the Word of God, reading His Words, has been instrumental when I need answers. Praying in Adoration, allowing myself to hear what He wants, calms me when I am afraid. And when I cannot move forward, I know I need to be with Him in the Eucharist.  

Allow Him to open the door and lead you forward with open arms.  

Time and time again, I knock and God opens the door that is right for me … and it has always been good.   

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Copyright 2024 Carol Sbordon Bannon
Images: (top, bottom) Canva; (center) copyright 2024 Carol Sbordon Bannon, all rights reserved.