Locked out and helpless...

I've just had a bizarre and rather frustrating experience. When I got home at 10.30 last night (from the opening session of our leadership development seminar) I discovered that my bedroom door was locked tight. This made no sense, as there's not actually a lock on the door. I knew that the previous occupant, the owner of the house, had placed a small bolt at eye level on the inside of the door... but surely it's impossible for a bolt to close itself from the inside. Ada and I tried to force the door and break the bolt, but we soon realised it wouldn't be possible without causing major damage to the door. So we went out to the terrace and concentrated our efforts on the security gate.... but discovered that it well deserved the label "security" and that it was impenetrable. I have seldom felt so completely helpless. Around midnight, we gave up. Armed with a blanket and a pair of Gabriela's pyjamas, I went downstairs and tried to settle down to sleep on the couch.

This morning, we renewed our efforts. Realising that it might be impossible to get into the room without causing expensive damage to the wooden door or the iron security gate, we tried to phone the owner of the house. An hour later, when there was still no reply at any of his phone numbers, we decided that he must be on holiday this week. Time was beginning to run out, because I was scheduled to teach in the seminar this morning, but I couldn't get into my room to get any clothes, or to get my computer which had the teaching and powerpoint on it. 

Reluctantly, we called in a locksmith and asked his advice on what could be done.... with the least amount of damage and expense. He had the idea of cutting one of the bars from the gate, creating a tiny gap so that someone could squeeze into the room and unlock the bolt from the inside. Then the locksmith soldered the bar back onto the gate again. At last I could get into my room and have access to my phone, my computer.... and my underwear!! It had been such a strange feeling of helplessness (almost despair!!) to know that you were locked out and were completely powerless to do anything about getting in. 

The Bible tells us that people are "locked out" of God's presence if they haven't taken the step of inviting Jesus to take control of their lives. Sadly, most people don't even realise that they are stuck "on the outside" and so they often don't feel that sense of desperate longing to get back in again. Part of our job as Christians is to live our lives in such a way that people feel hungry and thirsty to "get in the door" and be able to relax in the presence of Father God.

(By the way, I immediately got a screwdriver and removed the bolt from the door. Now there's no chance of my ever being locked out again. Knowing Jesus is like that: once you know Him as your Saviour, once you enter in... no one can ever lock you out again.)