Ever was a Door

The door has closed forevermore, if indeed there ever was a door.---Bob Dylan, from his new album, Together Through Life, the song is called "Forgetful Heart"

 

What if the door we want opened never opens? Even if our dreams don't come true, even if we suffer without apparent purpose, even if we fall a hundred times, we are called to be people of detachment, joy, and hope. This is a hard thing to embrace, but this is the example of our Lord. His freedom to go through whatever for the Father and His brothers is the hope of all the baptized. But in our times, we have been taught to worship talent, dreams, and success. In this sick culture of shallow ideals and American Idols, we are called to swim against the current. If we are not careful, we will start thinking we deserve something. We don't. This is why we are people of faith, grace, and works. St. James said, "It is not by faith alone.... Faith without works is dead." Joy comes in the simple things, in working out our salvation with fear and trembling. It comes in a sunrise, a sunset, a song of struggle. Sometimes we get the idea that if we pray hard enough and long enough the door to our dreams will open. What we may find is that there never was a door there in the first place. To learn this is the case and then to move on, delighting oneself in the Lord in spite of the temptation to despair, is freedom.  "Lord, help us! Mercy!" 

 

wkm