Knocking on an Exit Door
As I begin this new year, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude as I step into a new chapter of my life. If you’re unsure what I’m referring to, you can click here to read my previous article.
As the new year approaches, I’m not one to set resolutions. That doesn’t mean I don’t challenge myself or have goals—I do. I just don’t want to place pressure on myself to complete something that is on God’s timeline instead of mine. Yes, I have goals, but I’m not going to feel like a failure if something doesn’t happen until 2027, because ultimately, it’s all in God’s hands.
This week I was listening to an episode of Dr. Axe. He’s a health enthusiast, but he’s also a Jesus lover. Once again this year, he issued a challenge for better health. While many people focus on a new diet or workout routine, he emphasized the importance of spiritual health. He talked about the benefits of reading your Bible every day and developing a consistent practice of thankfulness and gratitude.
His challenge was simple: start each day by naming at least three things you’re thankful for, and then name three more before going to sleep at night. To make it a habit, he encouraged using a notepad or journal and keeping it by your bedside so it serves as a daily reminder.
I’ve practiced this before, but as I became consumed with other things, the habit slowly fell away. However, with all the changes over the past month, I’ve felt a renewed spirit of gratitude rising up inside me. As I shared in my last post, I’m grateful that God understands how my mind works and has shown me grace in guiding me back onto the right path.
In the photo above, you’ll see a small journal notebook that I was given a few months ago. A woman in our small group picked one up for each of us, and each notebook included a Bible verse. As you can see, mine was Luke 11:9. I decided to use this notebook as my gratitude journal.
The last couple of years have been challenging. Through the support of friends and my small group, I’ve come to realize that only God can truly open doors—and only He can give lasting peace. We’ve all seen them. You’re in a building, you notice an exit door, and there are warning signs everywhere telling you that if you open it, an alarm will sound. I don’t know about you, but I’m not touching that door unless it’s an absolute emergency. Over the last few years, I felt like I was in an emergency situation. Many of my friends and those in my small group could tell you that I would have been justified in opening that door, even if it set off alarms. But deep in my spirit, I knew it wasn’t the right choice. Instead, I continued knocking on other doors—but none of them opened.
In Luke 11, the disciples made a simple request: they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, just as John had taught his disciples. In the verses that follow, Jesus teaches them how to pray. Then in verse 9, He tells them, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
That verse seems simple enough. If you’re looking for something, knocking on a door usually isn’t that hard. But those doors with warning signs and alarms? I don’t touch those. There’s something else about those doors too—there’s no handle on the outside. They only open when you push the release bar, and when you do, the alarm sounds.
In my case, I knew that exiting through that door would come with consequences. After months of knocking and facing the reality of my options, I did something unthinkable: I started praying about the exit door. This is how God works. He knew exactly what I needed. I believe with my whole heart that Jesus showed up with the key—the key that allowed me to exit without sounding any alarms. He is providing, and I know He will continue to guide each step.
Each of us has something in our lives that drives us to prayer. We knock on doors, but none of them seem to open. It’s always comforting to be welcomed through an open door—but what if Jesus wants you to go through the exit door? Here’s what I learned: if I had opened that door on my own, alarms would have sounded. But those doors can also be opened quietly—with the right key. Jesus showed up with the key, and we exited together.
I have never felt such relief. The stress I had been carrying was lifted. I didn’t come home crying because of uncertainty. I cried tears of joy—because I finally had the ending I so desperately needed.
Now I wait to see what God writes in the next chapter.
I wake up every day thankful for all that God has done. I don’t know your specific situation, but I encourage you to keep knocking—and don’t be surprised if Jesus leads you out through the exit door.
Luke 11:9–10
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
