– Cindrella Prakash

 Last weekend, we celebrated a friend’s 21st birthday. Her only ask was that she’d get to spend at least half a day with us, her second family. Touched by her emotion, we decided to fall in line. We spent the night playing games and the day eating large meals and watching a movie. We were a grand total of two guys and four girls. Why do I call this out, you’ll know in just a minute. As we stepped into the theatre, one of our guy friends, held the door open for the girls. I for one, love this old world charm and in that moment, resolved to pat him on his back. Funnily though, as he held the heavy door wide open, all the girls in the world decided to jump to the opportunity and walk right in. That’s a bit of exaggeration but I trust you get my point. What was unmistakable though, was how my friend, like a thorough gentleman, stood there letting everyone enter in. His smiling (and puzzled) face is etched in my memory.

We at church do Community Bible Reading (CBR) together. It’s basically a bunch of us reading the same chapter from the Bible together and sharing our thoughts and convictions on a whatsapp group. Its one tool I completely love! It’s helped me tremendously to grow in my walk with Christ. This morning, we read through Romans chapter 11 and this verse stayed with me the most – verse 30-32 – “There was a time not so long ago when you were on the outs with God. But then the Jews slammed the door on him and things opened up for you. Now they are on the outs. But with the door held wide open for you, they have a way back in. In one way or another, God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in.”

I was instantly reminded that I am an outsider who God included in the plan of salvation and I need to be holding the door open for others as well.

To tell you the truth, I often don’t. And when I do hold the door open, sometimes, I do so grudgingly even hopelessly, as if to say, “no matter how long I hold the door open, she/he is just not going to enter in”. My chivalrous friend, Benji, who’s also the Pastoral Intern/Asst. Pastor of our church, exemplified what it means to be door-holders in the non-physical/other/spiritual realm.

“Let’s be a conduit of blessing, not a consumer.”