Walking Through the Door

About a month ago I was asked by an acquaintance to meet with a journalism student who recently participated in a Jewish study program and was growing in her Judaisim.  Being a woman who worked in media, went through journalism school and grew in my own Judaism I agreed to meet with her to try and pay it forward.  We met up for about an hour after I got off work and I spent most of the time filling her in on my backstory.  At the end of the conversation she asked me a question.  "I'm having a really difficult time with my living situation right now.  I'm just growing apart from my roommates and I got offered this really amazing opportunity for a spot in on campus housing for a fraction of what I'm paying now.  They don't have openings very often but my roommates are going to be furious with me. Should I take it?" YES!!! I advised her.  "Not only should you take it but you should RUN!" 

It happens pretty often in life that we get into situations where we feel like we're stuck.  You try this, nothing.  You try that, nothing.  Unfortunately you can't force something to happen...you go on the job interview but whether or not you get the job is out of your control to a certain extent after you put in your due diligence.  Really the only thing you can control is your response to situations and people you come into contact with.  There are times in life when G-d opens doors for us.  They're not always the doors we thought we would walk through but nevertheless they are the doors that lead us forward.  

There is a story in Judaism that when Moses and the Jews were fleeing Egypt and they came up to the sea they became trapped when they realized that the Pharoah of Egypt had pursued them with his army from behind.  Talk about stuck! One of the Jews jumped into the sea and when he had walked in up to his nose the sea began to split.  It is said that in the merit of his faith G-d caused the sea to split.  I explained to this girl that oftentimes in life if we don't walk through the door in front of us G-d causes a situation to be so uncomfortable that it is the only way out.  I cautioned her that her situation might get worse unless she chooses to move forward and the door that was open in front of her might be closed if she waited too long to go through it.  

Likewise with our situation above.  Had the Jews hesitated a moment too long they would have been captured by the Egyptians and their door would have been closed as well.  A few weeks after our meeting I emailed this girl to follow up and see how everything was going.  She told me after many tears she did end up taking the on campus housing.  Her roommates are still not talking to her but she realized it was the right thing to do.  She also told me that because she was so upset about the whole thing she visited the Dean of her school to see about graduating a semester early so she could go learn in Israel for a bit before jumping straight into career mode.  She hadn't previously thought it was possible but it turned out it is and she will be graduating a semester early in the end.  That's the thing about walking through the door...you never know where it's going to lead you.