May the door be your window

*I’ve received complaints: I haven’t posted in a while. Let me say sorry and thanks! Sorry I’ve been slacking and thanks for reading. I’m humbled.

I strongly dislike the month of January, which is a shame as it’s my birthday month. But really, who does like January? It’s such a killjoy after the holidays. Especially here in the Twin Cities where we will freeze our buns off for the entire month. And you think I’m exaggerating. It’s currently 4 degrees, and windchills are expected to dip to 30 below tonight (below ZERO that is, for my cali and tennessee friends).

While on the treadmill yesterday, I was participating in the audience quiz that was on some talk show on the TV above me. The question was where January comes from. The word. The meaning. I didn’t know. Turns out it’s from Roman mythology, specifically Janus, the god of gates, doors, beginnings and endings. And I guess he’s two-faced. He’s usually depicted with two faces in opposite directions.

You know the phrase about God closing a door, but opening a window? Well, when I’ve been told this before, I've immediately gotten this Alice and Wonderland image in my head…I’m this blonde girl in some long, unending hallway with lots of doors. And the supposed window is always off to the side somewhere. Away. I don’t know where exactly, but in my head, it’s not in that hallway. And I’ve always thought this is kind of a funny saying because I don’t really think you need that window if you’re on the right side of the door. If the door slams in front of you, well, yes, I guess you’d need that window because you’re on the wrong side. You’re stuck in the past. But if the door slams behind you, you don’t need the window. You’ve followed God enough that…even if the door hits you on the rear end, you’re already into something new. A new part of life. A new era. Right? Make sense? The door is the window!

Anyways, when I looked up Janus to find out a little more about him and why my birthday month is named after him, and I discovered he’s the god of doors, I got the Alice and Wonderland image again in my head. And I decided that as 2010 kicks off, I want to be facing forward, I want God closing the door behind me. I want to be beginning, not ending.

And I pray God closes the door behind many dear ones in my life this year, leaving on the other side tears, cancer, job loss, heartache, fear.

Cheers to 2010 and being on the right side of closed doors!