Seriously God...a red door can get me to smile?
Our days can feel like a drag, but there is hope for those who trust in Jesus each Day.
The red door in the picture above above is right off a main walking street in the Petit-Champlain area of old town Quebec City. It is connected to the play theatre there and across the tiny narrow street from a few clothing boutiques. Fairly unassuming, thousands of people walk by this door everyday with little fanfare. For them it is just a red door. For us it was the Red Door.
In 2017, a very popular Korean Drama called Goblin premiered, and it was largely set in Quebec City. This red door was part of the plot.
Since the airing of the drama, fans have traveled to see the charming city to see the beauty they saw on the screen, and the amount of fans must be to the point that even when we were there an older French speaking man who was busking on the street was playing a Korean folk song on his violin for people passing by.
For the vast majority of tourists, this red door literally meant nothing to them, but for those who are “in-the-know” the door gave us a nice photo op, a story to tell later to friends and family, and a moment of happiness, remembering the story and characters that we loved. It all helped us to have a smile that afternoon until we would fight about some other dumb family trip type things later.
Beyond just the dichotomy of being the Red Door or the red door, for some the door was a nuisance as well. The underpinnings of the picture below show us that the photo ops that clog up the narrow street bother the people trying to shop and walkthrough. That day, we were guilty of creating a little congestion. This sign below was posted in three languages for a reason: visitors of the Red Door…don’t be annoying.
Red Door vs. red door vs. 😠/red door/😔.
Like this door, when considering just one day of your life, it could often feel like a Day, a day, or 😠/a day/😔. I can’t imagine every day can feel like a Day, but I have definitely felt my days, on average, have not been the way I’ve wanted them to feel. On the trip, my youngest son even called me out and said, “Do you ever smile?” He meant in our pictures and why don’t I smile with my teeth, but I think it meant more than that. In many ways, I have left a lot of hope on the table each day.
But there is hope.
Before a verse like the one below at the end of the book in the New Testament would have been something I skimmed over as a simple ending to a letter, but now it feels like lifeblood to me.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NIV
For some, to just have joy and peace each day seems very basic and a lower level human need to fulfill, but I know for so many Christians it feels like a luxury they can’t afford. Our churches, our leaders, or families feel like they are telling us to do and accomplish more…even in the name of Jesus…but yet I often feel I just want to feel peace and joy for an extended amount of time in a day.
Is it selfish for me to want more Days than days and certainly less 😠/days/😔?
When I trust Christ and give him thanks I have hope. I can start there each day. When others see the peace and joy I have, or when I get chance to share what Christ has done and continues to do for me, I pray they will see Jesus for who he is as described in Matthew 11:28-30—The gentle and humble one who can give us rest.
I know my strength was something that I relied so heavily on myself to avoid stress and rest, but the Lord will be my strength and hope now. My days will be bright, not because I have all the faculties to make it so, but the Lord will lead me whether I’m on his back or following behind. Let the power of the Holy Spirit be why I’m going to have a blessed Day.
Do you have more Days, days, or 😠/
days/😔?Where can we put more trust in Jesus?
If you feel blocked in trusting Christ, find a place and pour your heart out like it’s 1999.