In our master bathroom we have a linen closet, which has a folding door with two panels. A few days ago the door was opened, which means it was sticking out slightly, as I walked by. I barely bumped the door, but somehow it was suddenly discombobulated. It all happened so quickly. I couldn’t believe that the door was no longer completely on the track and now appeared crooked. I tried to push the door back onto the track, but to no avail. It would not stay put. All my efforts were in vain, so I had to call for backup. Thankfully, my handy husband came to the rescue. He was able to get the door back on the track and standing straight again. This little incident might seem like an insignificant part of my day, but it taught me some things.

1 – Blindsided

First, sometimes things in life will go downhill fast, and we feel blindsided. But what appears to be the cause is actually just the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. In the case of the door, after we looked at it closely, we discovered that the track was bent and we just never realized it. So my bumping into the door wasn’t the actual problem, but it uncovered an issue that was already festering.

One example where this could happen in life is when dealing with people’s emotions. Let’s say someone was having a bad day and lashed out at another person for something they said. Well it wasn’t necessarily what the second person said that was the problem. But it pushed a button that was already tender.

It can be difficult to navigate situations like this. When we are blindsided, at first we might feel shocked. And the shock might paralyze us or cause us to have an adverse reaction. But hopefully we can recover quickly and handle the situation with grace.

2 – Proceed with Resolving the Situation

This brings me to the second thing I learned. With the problem of the door, I immediately tried to resolve the issue. We can do the same with problems in life. But we should always remember our source of Truth first – The Bible. Whatever we are facing, there is a Bible verse that can help guide us in the right direction.

In the case of someone’s emotions which I mentioned above, we could remember Philippians 4:5 (NLT), “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” If we follow this rule in all of our actions, hopefully it will help alleviate the suffering.

Another example of things getting blown up out of nowhere – sometimes in the news we will see where people are falsely accused of things that they did not do. In those cases, we can remember one of my favorite Bible verses, Exodus 14:14 (NIV), “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

These are just some examples. Whatever you might have been blindsided by, I encourage you to find a Bible verse that will help direct your steps.

3 – Call for Back Up

Ultimately, there will be times in life when we cannot do the task at hand in our own strength, so we have to call in the troops. In the case of the door, I needed my husband’s help. In life situations, first and foremost, we should seek God’s help. We cannot face difficulties without Him. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit with us every single moment of every single day. God is always there and always willing to help. At times it might also be appropriate to call upon friends, loved ones, and prayer warriors, depending on what obstacle you are facing. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to face it alone.

In the end, the door was fixed and all was well. No matter what you are facing today, God can fix it. There is no mountain too big for our Almighty God. And He loves His children more than we can ever imagine. So don’t think that He is too busy or unconcerned about your problems. He will be there the instant that you call on Him.