One Closed Door and One Opened Door

A young mother lost her two children.

       In the midst of Hurricane Sandy her home was filling with flood waters. She placed her two children ages 4 and 2 in her car and they fled to her sister's home.

They never made it.

Her car got stuck and she had to abandon it. She clung onto a tree all the while holding onto her two babies.

In her desperation she tried to make it to a nearby home. She  banged on the door for someone to let her in. There was a man inside. In fact he was one of very few that chose to stay on that block.

He did not open the door.

The water climbed higher as she went to the back of the home. I can only imagine the utter desperation as she picked up a flower pot and tried to break the window.

Before she knew it a surge of water came and tore her kids from her grasp. They perished in the waters.

    Days later the man who refused to open the door defended himself stating that it was a man that came to his door; not a woman. I wonder couldn't he hear the desperate wails of this mom? Didn't he see the children? They were probably crying.

He stated "What could I do? I was in flip flops and shorts. I couldn't help anyone."


He could have opened the door.


An opened door would have been all it took for two small innocent lives to be saved.

                                    Just One Opened Door.




Now there is another story

this one is about another door.

The pastor of the church we attend went to the church to see if he could charge his phone there since he too (along with thousands of others) had lost the electricity in his home.
The church had not lost power at all.

 He thought what a blessing. He later wrote in an e-mail...

 "God prompted me to open up the building to the community"

He thought of all the people around  town that had no power.  Some couldn't call worried loved ones (phone lines were down) or for help if they needed to because cell phones had long since run out of charge. Many had no means to make a meal for their families.

He put up this sign on both sides of the church

Then he opened the doors

With the help of his wife, the Youth Pastor and his family they welcomed everyone

People walked in from all over.

They charged their phones

They cooked meals and shared their food.

The doors were opened for all who needed help

I know for many the opened doors to this church was a huge blessing. On Sunday there were a few new faces that came to share their story of how it felt to have those doors open for them.

A door. One man chose to keep it shut

 the other listened to God and kept the door opened

a simple decision made all the difference.

I pray for all the parents who lost children in this disaster.

I pray for those who lost homes

I pray for those who feel lost

I pray for those who choose to keep doors shut. I pray the love of God prompts them to open their doors and let His Light in.