I came home to find the garage door standing wide open for all to see. Ooops. It had apparently been that way for several hours. Uh, sorry Honey ~ and a special shout-out to my kindly neighbors who refrained from helping themselves to any goodies in the meantime!
As I backed out into the alley later on, I double triple quadruple checked that I pushed the automatic door doohickey with all proper care and respect. Hmmm...what’s this? The door started coming down, suddenly stopped, then reopened.
As I backed out into the alley later on, I double triple quadruple checked that I pushed the automatic door doohickey with all proper care and respect. Hmmm...what’s this? The door started coming down, suddenly stopped, then reopened.
Suspicious, I dragged (drug?) myself out of the car to better survey the scene. Nope, no children standing in the way of advancing danger. No errant piece of wood fallen out of a pile to block the sensor. Not even a clump of snow or leftover leaves pushed into the garage door line. I was stymied. Why wouldn’t the door close?
Rushed for time, I pushed the button again ~ F.I.R.M.L.Y. ~ but with the same result.
Not *THAT* firmly! (And kids, please do not try this at home...) At my wit’s end, I finally walked over and crouched down by the sensor. There, in front of the laser, were a few wispy tails of a cobweb, barely visible even at close distance. I brushed them aside, stepped back, and pushed the garage door control again. This time, the door closed all the way, safe and secure.
Imagine that! A tiny cobweb was tripping up an otherwise powerful signal. The sensor was designed for my own good, to protect me from an unsuspecting bonk-on-the-noggin by a door weighing more than 150 pounds. Instead, my day had been brought to a needless halt. And all because of a seemingly insignificant remnant from the past.
Makes me wonder how often my own heart gets tripped up from a lack of spring cleaning. Not just from obvious blockages, but from the seemingly insignificant Spiritual Cobwebs that impair my ability to respond to the Spirit’s promptings. Old habits. Old fears. Old disbeliefs. Old sources of self-esteem. God wants to get my attention, but I need to be ready to listen.
For garage doors that open and close properly, and for hearts that gladly welcome Spring Cleaning,
~Lisa
Scholarship opportunity: The She Speaks Conference (July 22-24, 2011) is about connecting the hearts of women to the heart of God, whether it’s through speaking, writing, leading or influencing. If that reflects your desire, as it does mine, click here for information on a scholarship being offered by Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience. May each one of us continue to move out of our comfort zones in faith!
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