Beyond Blue reader Frank Bucher sent me a touching email after he watched my video about Henri Nouwen and the Spiritual Life. I thought his interpretation of my cone was right on, and I wanted to share it with you in case you also have doors that you are tempted to go out. I wanted to nudge you to close the door, and stay with the spiritual life. Frank writes:

I never thought about life as a cone although I notice the older I get, the things I feel important dwindle down significantly. Gone are the toys I must have and the places I must go. The light of God burns brighter with each step, for me and for you too, I suspect.

But this leaves out the people I know who seem to be running as much as ever and searching for what I no longer care about. Money, fame, accomplishment to name a few. I got to thinking about this in relation to your doors and then I had it…

They walked outside the cone through one of those doors. Now they are on their own and it’s wide open with no focus except for the name plate on the door.

I think we all step outside once in a while when we have that moment of being lost and fretting. For you, I think it’s when you can’t believe that what your do is wonderful and valuable. When you find it hard to believe it when someone tells you they love you and you change lives. I think it’s because you look through the door you opened because you believe that’s where you belong.

No, No, you belong in that cone. Throw those doors of self doubt closed and lock them. Never look through them again and walk through your life knowing that no one is opening a door you can’t close. Even when people throw those doors open, you go on up and close them again. The key is to say, “NO, Frank (or choose a more appropriate name if you wish) says I mean the world to him and that’s the reality I need to remember. Not the lies outside the door. My life is funneling right to the brightness of eternity.”

Tell you what… You do that and I’ll do the same the next time I say “I can’t go any further” “I can’t take this anymore” “I give up.” I guess I have the same lessons to learn.

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