I’m continuing to work on the article about Stupid phrases people use to comfort others that are often not comforting or sometimes misinterpreted or the intention and how it sounds don’t match.
http://communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/2015/09/28/stupid-phrases-for-people-in-crisis/
This is a phrase I use often. However, I am learning to change it. I am also learning that sometimes people aren’t ready to hear it.
When God shuts a door, he opens a window.
In the article, the example they offer is Job. If you ever read about Job in the Bible his life sucked. What people fail to do is read beyond that his life sucked. However, Job is not a partial story. He stayed faithful in his tribulation.
Job 42:9-10, 12-13
9….the Lord also accepted Job.
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
When people tell about Job, they leave out the rest of his story. His story is amazing story in persevering during and through affliction. I admire Job and hope to be like him.
People often look at a closed door and don’t think about the rest of the story. They stare at the door wanting the door open, praying the door open, grieving the door won’t open. Eventually, they may turn away sorrowing believing that Heavenly Father didn’t answer their prayers when all along a window was open just above and to the left of the door. Because a person is so intent on the door, they miss seeing other possibilities. God is a god of possibilities. Choices. Imagine, He created 18,500 different species of butterflies. I need to remember that when I offer the advice that “When God shuts a door, He opens a window” the person I am sharing with may still be in the grieving process, not ready to hear about other opportunities. I do believe that when God shuts a door, He opens a window. Now in my own life, when something shuts down, I start looking for a window. I know there is an opportunity somewhere if I look for it. I learned for myself, if one situation ends it is simply the beginning of something else. I believe this phrase is useful if I am aware in what stage the person is in, if they are still grieving a loss, they are not ready to hear about new possibilities. Be kind and give the person time to grieve. Opportunities will present themselves, eventually they will be ready to see them.
PTSD - Accepting, Coping, Thriving 