In our latest serving of wit and wisdom, as communicated through the sights, sounds and aromas of the average kitchen, we pay tribute to the Doors. No, not the Vietnam War-era rock group. We don’t need Jim Morrison to “Light My Fire”! (When we do need a flame we have our trustworthy gas range, Sparky, one of the many “angels” in our kitchen.) We mean the doors, those swinging elements of hip architectural design — upon which great things hinge. (Uh, get it? Hinge? … doors? Oh, never mind.)
Doors help divide various areas, while still offering easy access. Doors can be used either to keep something out or to allow something in. Cool, right? “Ah,” you wonder, “but what sort of wisdom can plain old doors teach us? And regarding the average kitchen, where exactly do they come into the picture?”
These multitalented swingers actually have a very special message for our readers. And we find them everywhere in the kitchen, doing their part to make our lives wonderful. The door on the microwave keeps us from getting nuked along with the popcorn. The door on the refrigerator keeps cold air in and hot air out; and the oven door does just the opposite. Big deal? Well, remove any of these doors and you’ll quickly learn just how big!
There are cabinet doors, hiding the clutter of canned goods above the counter, and the boxes and bottles of cleaning products below! And in our own kitchen, we have this adorable little door on the front of our appliance garage. He rolls up whenever we need the services of those kitchen avengers, the mighty Thor (a powerful blender) and our “talking” toaster (able to brown four slices of bread in a single bound — er, push).
While we’re gushing about doors, we’ll point out that our kitchen at Woodhaven is surrounded by doors on every side. We previously stated that the kitchen is the “heart” of the home, the center of life-sustaining activity lovingly expressed through the meals flowing forth to the entire household. (Wow, that’s poetic!)
At Woodhaven, however, our kitchen is literally at the heart of things. It’s located in the middle of several other downstairs rooms: on one side are the foyer (separated by double doors) and the dining room (separated by swinging doors); on the opposite side are French doors opening onto a meager porch; at one end is a breezeway, again separated by a door, which leads to a powder room and the laundry; and finally, at the opposite is our library with a good solid door to keep out kitchen smells. Yes, our kitchen is a square — but all of our doors are swingers!
Having a library adjacent to the kitchen may seem odd, but both rooms are key hangouts at Woodhaven. One supplies food for the soul, the other food for thought. And when we’re writing in the library, we like having easy access to our Fridgey — who holds the blessings of cold drinks, leftover pizza, and ice cream bars! But in order to get to the kitchen, the heart of our home, we need a door! And unless we can pass through solid walls like Casper the Friendly Ghost, we need to OPEN that door!
There’s another kind of door we all have. We can’t see it, but it works either to keep things out or to let things in. It’s the door to the human heart — and its proper use hinges upon our own free will. Only we can open this door.
Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20 NLT) God wants to enter into the “kitchen” of your life: your heart. Have you given Him easy access by opening the invisible spiritual door? When you do, you’ll enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father, as well as eternal life.
If you’re still shut away from God, then please open the door and invite Him in. Don’t try to figure out all the hows, whys, and wherefores of God, and don’t put it off — or you’ll probably forget! Besides, do you really want to leave the Creator of the Universe waiting at the door!
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT) “…Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NLT)
And once you’ve opened the door to Christ, don’t confine Him to the “kitchen”! Let Him have the run of the house (every area of your life); and He’ll help you clean out those messy closets. Spend quality time with God through prayer, worship, and Bible study. You’ll get to know Him better, and you’ll grow spiritually. Shh! Hear that? Someone’s at the door!