Have you ever had an uninvited guest show up at your door? What do you do? Do you let them in or do you make some sort of excuse and close the door? Well, recently I had a visitor knocking at my door. It happens sometimes. Sadness, depression, anger, on and on it goes. They want you to come out and play with them. Or better yet, invite them in and let them get comfortable. No. Don’t do it. It isn’t worth it. Yeah but! No. Shut the door! I can’t. “They look so lonely outside,” you say to yourself. “Just for tonight.” “I will tell them to leave tomorrow.” You don’t though. They move right on in and make themselves at home. Sadness tried to do this to me the other day. She kept knocking on my door. She was relentless. I got up off the couch and inched closer to the door. Her knocking became increasingly loud and forceful. I reached for the knob of the door to let her in. I couldn’t take it any longer. She needed to come in and rest for a while. I welcomed her in as if she was family. She brought with her a dampness, that filled the room. At first I embraced it, but after a while it became too much for me to bear.
I needed her to leave. Immediately. She wasn’t welcomed any longer. I wanted her out. I asked her to leave, but she wouldn’t. She was cunning. She knew what to say to me, but I needed to resist her temptation. I asked her again to leave. This time with a little more authority. She realized I was serious and got up immediately. I told her she wasn’t welcomed here any longer and not to ever come back. She turned and walked towards the door. I opened it for her. She paused and reached for my hand, but I brushed her away. “Get out!” I said and she walked out the door.
I am thankful that I didn’t allow sadness to stay too long. I find it hard sometimes though to ask her to leave. I don’t know about you, but I can enjoy her company from time to time. I know I shouldn’t make friends with her, but she can be quite enticing at times. I am so very grateful for a wife and friends who constantly encourage me to keep my head up and keep fighting. Who help me close the door on sadness when I may not be strong enough to do it. So when sadness or ‘whatever’ comes knocking on your door, don’t answer it. Tell it to get off your property immediately. You’ll be better off.
