Will I be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord in heaven? That’s one of those wait and see questions. I do know that these days I am a doorkeeper in the – uh – Lord’s house.

Though scripture teaches us to test our own work, not our neighbor’s [1], humility can be nurtured by observing ourselves next to those better than we are. So in this blog series we will pause to look at someone who outpaces us in their efforts to work with what God has given them. As we think about being a doorkeeper, it’s a good exercise for us to understand that such an assignment – door keeping – might very well, indeed, be our just dessert. Anything beyond it is icing.

If I’m stuck at the door, I’d rather do a decent job of it than fall flat on my face. Hence, you are now reading Doorkeeper 101. Welcome to the class that was the last choice of every student taking it. One motto among many we will use here is Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.[2] The quiet sound you hear is me sighing. I know I’m not the only one. We might as well get started.

Welcome to the class that was the last choice of every student taking it.

I homeschooled my kids during some of their elementary school years and on Wednesdays we fit piano lessons with my mother, who was a piano teacher, into the schedule. It was a required subject. I called it lunch and lessons with Grandma because my parents would always want to go out to eat before or after piano lessons. One day I got a call to meet them at a place called the Blue Fox. I knew of it since it was only a few miles from our house. Now you have to know something about my parents. They liked hole-in-the-wall cafes. If there was one on the road they traveled, they would find it, and not only find it, but make friends with the people who frequented it. They were culinary explorers, but not the kind who could describe the nuances of certain dishes. Rather, they tended to find places someone else wouldn’t have glanced at twice. I suggested to them that the Blue Fox wasn’t what they thought it was. They ignored me.

Like many parents, I worked very hard to raise my children to steer clear of what held potential for harm and to stay on the straight path. That included letting them know that I had seen more bad than good come from alcoholic beverages. I was raised in a dry family and was raising my family the same way. You can probably see where I’m going with this. Yes, the Blue Fox was a bar.

To be fair, it was a bar and grill, but in my assessment it was more bar than grill, and since I didn’t even take my kids to Chili’s in the interest of steering them in the right direction, it’s unlikely – make that highly unlikely – make that nigh unto impossible – I would ever take them to the Blue Fox. But here we were: my parents finding a new restaurant with an entertaining name, and me honoring my parents and biting my tongue. We walked in and were greeted by one of the most agreeable fellows I have ever met. He did everything to make sure we were comfortable. Well, aside from the very high stools. I must admit I was impressed that my mother made it up on hers and hoped very hard she’d be able to get down without falling when the time came. It took until after we had ordered for my mother to admit what type of establishment we were dining at. After a good laugh, she remarked, and we had to agree, that the church should be as friendly.

The host at the Blue Fox was on the mark. Whatever his first impression of us, he made us feel like he wanted us to come back and see him every day. We almost began to believe their burgers were the best and their menu was second to none. And if our host didn’t believe it, he had some great acting skills.

A doorkeeper doesn’t pick and choose who to welcome. What if the person who walks up to the door doesn’t look like the other folks who walk through that door every day? What if the person gives off some unpleasant odor? Has dirty fingernails or, conversely, looks like they get a weekly mani-pedi? What if the person seems snobbish or overdressed compared with everyone else? What if they speak a different language? What if they are loud and bawdy? What if they seem very much like someone who brought distress in the doorkeeper’s past? What if they are every kind of unlikeable? What if their home is under a bridge? What if they are famous? Or rich? Or both? What if they take a long time to come through the door? Fortunately, it’s not the doorkeeper’s job to figure everything out. It is the doorkeeper’s job to simply open the door.

to be continued . . .

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[1] Galations 4:6

[2] Quote: Booker T. Washington

Class Motto: Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.; Image: Pexels.com