Escape rooms seem to be “a thing” right now. You get with some friends, pay your money, then are locked in a room with only your collective wits and an hour to escape. That may sound claustrophobic for some, but for me the strategy, challenge and group interaction seems appealing (I haven’t done one yet).
Fictional games are one thing because we know we have an out. But wiggling around in our real-life tight spaces is another story. We believers are indeed new creations, and all things do become new. But much of this change doesn’t just happen - easily or quickly. It needs to be worked out.
The mystery and a frustrated effort in a hard life circumstance can make us feel helpless and alone, caught in a whirlpool of fear, anxiety and even depression. Not knowing what to do is hard, and reaching out for help - perhaps even harder.
Beyond finding the way out, we typically also want to know the WHY of it all. There are always lessons to be learned - a revelation tailor-made just for us, but seldom within our best time frame, right?
Recently, in the midst of an “escape room” situation (though not the fun and games kind), I heard the Lord whisper to me in my frustration and despair. He said, “You won’t find the way out right now, but I will give you a side door”.
“What?”
He continued: “I am not asking you to solve all this by yourself, but I do need a response to my direction. Your side door is your point of response - something to DO as an act of obedience”. Even though he wasn’t offering “an escape” from my problems, I said yes.
I realized that my Lord and I are a team, but there is plenty that I just can’t handle, let alone have the vision and understanding for. He does the very difficult, and I respond by helping and not getting in between Him and the ultimate solution. Specific actions right now, and “ah ha” moments of understanding will follow.
So let’s look for His side door for us. It’s not a way out, but a way through!
About the Author
Terry Sheldon is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.
He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.