It has been said that when God closes a door he opens a window. I prefer to say that when God closes a window, he opens a door.
In the past year our family has seen windows close but we have seen more doors open wide with opportunities which would have been impossible had we insisted on pounding on the closed window instead of stepping through an open door.
Turning our back on those windows and stepping through the open doors is not easy, in fact, it can be rather terrifying. You see, we were the perfect family. Two wonderful girls, a dog, our dream home and the entrepreneurial spirit to run our own business. The girls were involved in many activities each week, such as dance lessons and music lessons. I spent my days busy with the girls. Mike spent his days busy with the business. We all attended church on Sunday, we went to Sunday school and Bible studies. Our business allowed us to travel to many wonderful places around the country and the freedom to set our own hours. What more could we want? We were truly blessed.
Then came the economic downturn. In fall of 2008 when gas prices skyrocketed and the auto industry crumbled, so did our business. Almost overnight, it seemed, the business that we had spent the better part of ten years building was gone. Mike not only faced unemployment for the first time in his life, he had to pull the plug on something which he had nurtured and watched grow from nothing to a thriving business.
It is difficult to describe the feeling of loss and uncertainty in which we felt. Walking into church that first Sunday we were numb, not sure how to face people, not sure what to say. Just a few weeks earlier if asked we would have said business was good, now it was gone. We soon discovered what amazing support we had from our friends. In the months that followed not a Sunday would go buy that at least one person did not ask how we were doing, did we need anything and how can we pray for you. This was such great comfort and support, the amazing love we felt every time we walked through those church doors.
We needed that support. Mike’s job search was dismal at best, the few tech jobs out there had hundreds of applicants and positions were being eliminated with no one being hired. If he did get hired we faced moving at least two and half hours away, possibly across the country and selling our dream home in the midst of the mortgage industry collapsing. Jen had been pulled from the dance lessons, which were so much a part of the last ten years. Dance was her life, and a big part of my life since I spent so many hours at the dance studio. We were both rather lost, not knowing just what to do with our time. Shawna was just starting college and had enough stress with that. If we had to move she was moving in with Grandma. Our lives were in an emotional tailspin that could seem rather hopeless. Weeks turned to months, still no job, still no idea of where our lives were going to end up. The one thing we did know was that God was in control and things were going to work out. We had to rely on our faith because we had nothing else to cling too. It is not always easy to completely let go and let God control our lives but we had to, we had no choice, we had to wait for the right door to open.
Four months later, in February that door opened. With the encouragement of friends and family, Mike started a computer repair business. This has turned out to be the perfect solution. He has been able to turn a life long hobby for electronics and fixing things into a job and he is quickly becoming known throughout the community as “Mike the Computer Guy”. It is neat to see happy customers at the post office or the store. Mike enjoys computer repair and the customer interaction knowing that he can brighten someones day just a bit by saving some family photos or fixing a businesses lifeline to commerce. In this computer driven society even small towns need a trustworthy and competent computer guy.
With her free time Jen got involved in the youth group and found her calling towards child evangelism on a youth mission trip to Sacred Road in White Salmon, WA. God has provided opportunities and the financial means to fulfill those opportunities. She spent the summer doing Five Day Clubs with Christian Youth in Action and is excited about returning to Sacred Road this spring. God has also provided Jen with an outlet for her love of dance, she is volunteering at our local non profit dance studio as an assistant teacher.
Shawna has changed her major and got married, but she is still working hard towards her degree.
As for me, well with my girls so busy with their own lives and Mike not really needing my help with the business I have gone back to school. Where school will take me I am not sure. One thing that I am sure of though is that God has opened doors of opportunity and I am confident that he will open more.
Our lives are in a very different place then they were a year ago, we have learned how an amazing God walks us through the tough places in life and how he sets in motion solutions to our problems long before we even know the problem will arise.