Day 26, 100 Days to Brave: What's An Open Door?

In November of 2005 I boarded a plane out of Newark, NJ and headed to Denmark where a very small commuter plane picked me up and flew me to Germany. I watched "Fever Pitch" on the 8-hour Lufthansa plane to Europe.

I was officially an Au-pair by title, having had submitted my application on aupairworld.com, communicated with a few families- some calling me directly from Germany to speak with me on my phone!-  and been paired with a family who seemed just as excited about me as I was about them.

The morning I flew away from America I packed myself a bag if trail mix which I ate on the hall floor of the airport in Denmark while I waited. I wore red khaki pants, which were from the Gap (and super cute) and a baseball cap with a dove on it. My outfit was specific because it was what the family I was going to live with -the family I was meeting in person for the first time- was expecting to find me in.

The family was a lovely mixed family, having two young girls, ages 4 and 10, a beautiful mother, and two separate, but each very involved, fathers. And a gray cat named Mickey.

Although it is exciting for me to remember these details and share them, there is also a purpose.

Annie's devotional today speaks about walking through an open door without the bells and whistles of a "sign" straight from the Heavens. For Annie, it was her wanting to go to Scotland and then the opportunity became available. She prayed, yes, but it wasn't a prayer of dire, Must Know. And there were no singing birds outside her window. The sky did not glow like fire. No "huge Scotland banner flying outside".
It was just Annie, and a desire meeting an opportunity.
It wasn't supernatural. 
It was an open door. 

When I met the girl who was an Au-pair while living in Los Angeles, I knew immediately that I wanted to be the same. How exciting, and what an opportunity! 
The truth is that Germany was not my first choice. 
I love Germany and had the opportunity to visit once prior, but my heart was set on England.
The land of the most glamorous accents...
the London Eye...
royalty.
All. The. Beautiful. Things. 

Search results for: All Items - Tesco.c

I logged onto aupairworld.com and began to compile my profile. I did this on my off time while living at the Dream Center.

And put my best foot forward and aimed my future directly at England. 

And was denied.

As it is, England DOES NOT accept American Au-pairs.
No-go.

The door leading to England was closed to me, but my heart was not detoured. So much of the world was at my fingertips, including my beloved Germany. The land of Ostseewelle, Berlin, and "ich habe dich Liebe".



My heart beats so strongly for Germany.
Although it was my second choice, that door opened. 
And it wasn't supernatural. 
It was an open door. 

So I went.

Be Brave: 

Write out a prayer to God, 

asking Him to show you the open doors in your life right now. 

If you want Him to open the right doors and close the wrong ones, 

write that as well. 

(emphs. mine)

I believe there are actual open doors in our lives. Do we see them as actual possibilities? Do we even acknowledge them? Lord, please give me eyes to see You in all of this. Please help me to move through doors even when I don't see Your guidance and help me to walk in faith.