The Hallway

Hey you. Yeah you, the one reading this for some reason. You ever feel like a time in your life when you are in a hallway? Yeah, a hallway. Not a mountain top, not a desert, not a baller-status mansion. A hallway.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Hallway? Is it positive? Is it negative? When I think of a hallway. I think of a place thats just something I’m using to get to where I need to be. It isn’t a place to stay or hang out. It is the in-between of one door to the next. You never have meetings, or coffee dates or even family time in the hallway. When the architect is designing a home or when the buyers are buying a home, their first thought Is never “I wonder how nice the hallway is”. However, even thought it may be the last thought, or not a thought at all. The hallway is an important part of the house. It allows the ability to space out the doors and rooms of the home.

Remember when I asked if when you think of a hallway is it positive or negative? Do you have an answer? Have you even thought of it like that ever? I believe there are two types of people in this world, ones who are patient and enjoy a nice hallway experience. They hang pictures or inspirational messages on the wall, and they enjoy their walk through the hallway. And then there are the ones who just want to get from one door to the next. They don’t look around, they don’t stop to look at little jimmy in the family photo from five years ago. They are just passing through, using the hallway for its purpose, a passageway to the next door.

I was having a lengthy discussion with one of my mentors, and they just simply asked what season of life are you in? And I wish I could of said I’m on a mountaintop, or I’m living my best life in a baller-mansion type season. But, the truth is the best way I could describe my season of life was “hallway”. And then I just began to unpack what that even meant. Is it positive? Is it negative? What does that even mean for your season of life to be in a hallway?

How do we see the hallway season in the Bible? Well, lets first take a look at David. Remember when Samuel went to Jesse’s house and was going to anoint the next king of Israel, and he went through all of Jesses sons and couldn’t find one? And then Samuel asked, do you have any more sons? And Jesse said yeah, but its just David, the skinny kid who takes care of the sheep, but there’s no way it could be him. Samuel requested Davids presence, and it turned out God was choosing David to be the next king of Israel. But how long do you think it was until David took over as King? Same day? One week? One month? One year? When David was anointed king he was about 8-15 years old. He didn’t take over as king until he was thirty years old! How crazy is that? Imagine being told you are going to be King one day, and then having to wait 15 plus years. David was in the hallway. David was in the hallway for a long time.

When I think of David and his story, I always think why did God do that? Why anoint David so early just to have him wait? There has to be a reason, God doesn’t just do things because he feels like it. There’s a purpose. There’s always a purpose. Maybe it was to see David in the hallway. To see David during the waiting. To see David and his character in the in-between. Would David get impatient? Would he try an open a door he wasn’t supposed to? Because let’s face it, God gives a promise and a desire, and almost without fail there is a time of in-between. The time in-between the promise and the fulfillment of the promise. So we find ourselves like David, in a hallway. And we can either enjoy our time their and praise God in the hallway or we can be impatient.

Many times I have found myself in a hallway season, and many times I have grown to be impatient. God what is going on? You gave me a passion and a dream, but where is the door? Where is the opportunity? What am I doing here? And many times while in the hallway I would impatiently find myself in front of a door and it would be locked and I would try to bust it open. And other times there would be an open door, and I would poke my head in and try to work it out in my head all the details. And I would force my way through the door, and it would seem right and comfortable in the moment. Because let’s be honest, anything is better than the hallway. So, I stay and try to make that the door that was meant to be. But then God would finally say enough Is enough, and force me out and shut the door in my face. Then here I am, here we are. Back in the hallway.

And so because of that I have always had a negative mindset towards the hallway, because I just want my door and I want it now. But since the hallway is a necessary season and everyone’s hallway is different, what does God want us to learn from the hallway season? Because the hallway is never meant to be a destination. So, while we are in the hallway season what’s there to learn? I believe God puts us in the hallway season to test our faith, to see our trust in him. He wants to see us either pout like a 5th grade girl, or see us go all in on him and trust him with everything. Will we trust him to open the right door? Or will we try to force open locked doors, because impatience is real.

So, remember earlier when I asked if the hallway is a positive or negative thought? I honestly believe the hallway season is what you make it. It could be positive or negative or neither. It is up to the person walking through the hallway. I believe there are so many things that we can lean in and learn from the hallway season. Because regardless of any opportunity or title or position, the call remains the same. We are all called to share about the unmatchable love of Jesus Christ. You can do that in the hallway. Our society today is so fast paced and moving from one point to the next and one opportunity to the next we can become tunnel vision. And we miss the moments in the hallway where God wants us to impact someone’s day and share with them how God has changed our lives and is taking us on an amazing journey. And how he can do the same for them.

So, however long or short your hallway is, there will always be lessons along the way that God is trying to teach. There will always be doors that are meant to stay locked, because it isn’t what God has for you. And you have to remember, there will be doors along the way that will look and feel like the one you think you’re looking for. And you may end up walking through one, and it may seem comfortable for the moment only because the hallway we know isn’t comfortable. However, God will continue to close doors that are just not meant for you. And it is in those moments where you can pout and fall to your knees and bang on the door for it to open. But, its in those times when doors are slammed in your face that you have to look to God and say “okay, I trust you. Lead me.” That is all we can do. And in the meantime, praise him in the hallway.