Have You Knocked At Every Door?

Have You Knocked At Every Door?

Have You Knocked At Every Door?

I’m reading Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Do you ever begin a book & realize you were destined to read it at just this time in life? That’s how Les Mis feels.

Yes, it’s a huge, thick book but I like those the best. It’s like meeting a new friend & having lots and lots of long talks. The right book can become a beautiful relationship & I already know just 1/4th of the way through Les Mis that this is going to be a life-long companion of mine.

The pages of this book have resonated with me tremendously over the past few weeks. Parts of my life feel out of control & I’ve begun to experience moments of hopelessness. I’m sure many of you have experienced hopelessness in some way, whether it be financially, relationally, or spiritually.

You know the verse, “knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7)? Well, it hasn’t seemed like that to me lately. I’ve been knocking & nothing has happened.

But then I read this passage in Les Mis; Jean Valjean (the protagonist) is homeless, an ex-convict, and has been turned away from every inn and public house in the  little town of Digne. He lays down on a bench outside of a church when an older woman comes out and asks about his story. He tells her there is no place for him in the whole town.

She asks:

The door she is referring to? The open, unlocked door of the old & faithful Bishop of Digne who welcomes him in, feeds him & gives Jean Valjean the first clean bed & set of sheets he has had in 19 years.

I began to realize from this passage that it’s not that the doors aren’t opening, it’s that I think I have been knocking in the wrong place.

More specifically (and personally), I’ve been seeking my own solutions to problems instead of turning to the Lord, asking him for direction & knocking on His door first before I waste my time at others.

I want to encourage you to not feel hopeless, to not feel as though you’ve knocked on every door because you haven’t, there’s always one more door and I want you to “knock there.”

P.s.   Most of you have probably heard of Les Misérables in the context of the stunning broadway musical. Well guess what? They’re making the musical into a film full of unbelievable casting & it’s coming out December 14th. I cannot wait!

Check out the trailer HERE (& maybe grab a few tissues!).

Molly Keating
Molly Keating
Molly grew up in and around funeral homes her entire life. In 2009 she began working for O'Connor Mortuary and found a bridge between her passion for writing and her interest in grief and bereavement. In 2016 she earned Certification in the field of Thanatology, the study of Death, Dying and Bereavement. She is honored to be able to write about these taboo topics with knowledge, compassion, and a unique perspective.

31 Comments

  1. Jeff says:

    Molly,

    One of the reasons I know this is a good post is because I like it, and I don’t want to hear it at the same time. Kind of along the lines of Gloria Steinem’s line, “The truth shall set you free. But first, it will piss you off.” You amaze me with your constant discovery of thought and ideas that enrich my life. Thank you sweet girl.

    • MollyKeating says:

      Too kind. Thank you for your persistence in your own struggle to make it through the stuff none of us want to hear. You’ve been a great example to me & forged the way spiritually to challenge myself & not rest in the mediocre. Thanks for inspiring my spirit of self-discovery!

  2. Carrie Bayer says:

    Molly, you are an inspiration. I often feel the need to knock on new doors but I don’t because I’m afraid of change. I know there are many opportunities out there to find the change I’m needing & this post has given me motivation to start approaching those doors. Thank you so much, Molly! Carrie

    • MollyKeating says:

      Carrie,
      Fear has been a huge component of my year and like you, fear has sometimes kept me from knocking at all. It is so crippling! I’m feeling a lot more hope & courage but knocking is always, always a tough thing to do. I’m glad this encouraged you Carrie, I hope the next door you knock on is the one that opens!

  3. Tom says:

    interesting

  4. Molly,

    Your post reminds me of the importance of patience, persistence and perseverance. An amateur gives up…a pro keeps knocking.

    Thanks for your wonderful reminders…great job!

    Joey

    PS: Les Mis is one of my favorite movies…there’s the new one coming out too!

    • MollyKeating says:

      Thank you so much, Joey!

      I can’t stop watching the trailer for the new one, it just looks amazing!

      Thanks for reading & sharing!

  5. Kim Stacey says:

    Found this Krishnamurti quote…”Life is constantly knocking at our door. When we close the windows and doors of our house and stay inside, we feel very secure, we feel safe, unmolested. But life is not like that. Life is constantly knocking at our door, trying to push open our windows that we may see more; and if out of fear we lock the doors, bolt all the windows, the knocking only grows louder. The closer we cling to security in any form, the more life comes and pushes us. The more we are afraid and enclose ourselves, the greater is our suffering, because life won’t leave us alone. We want to be secure but life says we cannot be; and so our struggle begins.”

    Life is persistent, and beckons us to dance…

    • MollyKeating says:

      Kim
      What an awesome quote. I love the twist it puts on us insulating ourselves from opportunities. I think that idea works perfectly with Carrie’s comment above that talks about fear and how it holds us back from knocking. It also keeps us from hearing or desiring new opportunities when they present themselves. Fear isolates, cripples and arrests our development as people.
      Thanks so much for sharing that great quote & your insight!

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