A movie lesson: When God closes a door, he opens a window

One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Sound of Music.” I can pretty much recite every word and sing every song. It is also one of the first movies I introduced to my children, and they loved it, too. Singing “Doe a Deer” became quite a fun experience with my littles.

As I grew up, there have been different parts of the movie that impacted me. As a young girl, who didn’t want to be Liesl von Trapp dancing in the gazebo with that fabulous dress and handsome, albeit Nazi, mail carrier?

Lately, Maria’s line as she leaves the abbey has been a recurrent theme in my life. The quote is simple, “When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.”

In any season of life, it is easy to count the doors that close. We remember the doors that are closed to us, whether it was slowly and gently shut or slammed in our face.

Do we take the time to look for the windows that open? In each challenge, there is opportunity not only for growth in this world but in our life of faith. With each closed door are we looking for the opportunity of the open window?

It’s not always easy to find the windows. Sometimes, they might be just slightly cracked open. Sometimes, we might be afraid that if we open the window, mosquitoes will rush through, but that is where faith comes in.

Whether it is facing a medical crisis, a job difficulty or watching your child go through a hardship, God is always opening windows for us to gaze upon the wonder of his plan for us.

As parents, we need to encourage our children to look for the open windows.

In today’s society, it might be easy for a child to get bogged down in what his or her friends have or what they are doing. The doors open to my children’s friends may not be open to them, so it is our job as parents to encourage our children to seek out God’s will for them and not to focus on the doors that close to them, but the windows that open.

By doing this, we are fostering their unique gifts and helping each child discover his or her own talents and use them to the best of their ability.

We also need to remember to be examples of not forcing doors open, but gracefully rising above each challenge to take on new opportunity.

This is not an easy exercise! It is one that requires faith and perseverance and constant growth.

I know I have struggled with trying to hold doors open in my life, but it is my hope that with God’s help and the intercession of the Blessed Mother, I can grow in grace and help my husband and children grow in grace.

Please join me in prayer that we may all more fully open ourselves to walk the path God has chosen for us, even if it means walking through a window!

Sarah McDonald is a wife and mother living with her family of seven in Metairie. Professionally, she works as director of communications for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She and her family are avid sports fans who love to cook and spend time with family and friends.