Locksmithing principles applied to relationships Part 3 of 3.

 

Written and published by Jean Louis Mondon

Growing trees and fruit in the desert.

The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.

The fruit comes at the end of the growing cycle of the seasonal life of the tree. So it is with friendship and good, growing relationships. To enjoy the sweetness and the goodness of friendship, one has to be willing to take the time. In the meantime we can also enjoy the beautiful color of the leaves, the symmetry and the shape of the tree, the strength of the branches. Every season has its beauty and can be appreciated for what it has to offer to those who wait and have the patience, the inner qualities and the heart to understand. 

To the Church in Philadelphia
6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.…

Life becomes simple if we apply some basic principles of locksmithing to the relationship between a man and a woman; The lock usually represents the woman and the key is symbolic of the male (I am not talking here of the sexual connotation, although it could be understood that way). However, In emotional, relational and spiritual matters of which we are talking, it is not a matter of gender anymore. Sometimes the woman is the one who has the keys or sometimes it is both at the same or different times.

 The key doesn't fit the lock.

    1. They are obviously not designed to work together. 

    2. The key can be inserted in the lock but doesn't turn. Consequently, the key and lock cannot fulfill the function for which they were designed. But there is hope, because if we understand the reason for this, then we could make it work.  Which is why people pay me a lot of money to fix their problems.

(By the way, I offer spiritual counseling for free. Jesus said to whom much has been given much is required and freely you have received freely give).

There are at least 2 reasons why the key won't turn. It's either something wrong with the lock or the key or both.

    1.The lock is dirty, the pins are worn out or the key is worn out. 

    2. The lock or the key have broken parts that can be repaired or

        ordered.

It takes a qualified person to properly diagnose the problem that can be fixed with the proper skill and experience. By the way everything I say about this has been tested and proven true in the field with my customers. They are so happy when I give them free advice on the phone on how to make it work with a simple squirt of WD40 lubricant or heating the key in winter to unfreeze the lock. I would be a rich man if I were dishonest or greedy! 

You might think I am digressing from the subject. So let's go back to relationships. There are a lot of people that are not designed for each other like incompatible locks and keys. So we can't beat a dead horse. This is why I took my time to write so much in my profile and My aim was not to attract a lot of people but the very few that will stick around with whom I feel confident that a real and enriching relationship will hopefully develop.

Following the pattern of the lock and key, potentially good relationships are thrown away, because people are too much in a hurry to cultivate the relationship. They don't want to take the time to consult with the Lord to let the Holy Spirit diagnose the problem and reveal to them the right solution.  The worst scenario is when part of the key is broken in the lock, which is what happens when divorce occurs. It requires painful surgery to remove parts of the key and remove the cause of the malfunctioning before the lock can work optimally again.

What people don't understand is that you cannot open a lock with a piece of broken key inside, neither can you turn the lock with a broken key because it is missing some vital parts. Both the key and the lock have to be repaired before they are able to work again properly. Invariably what happens is that we end up with parts of each other left inside.

This is what is so devastating to people who do not take their time to understand what went wrong, what caused the rupture. It could be the key or the lock or both.  It takes time to repair, time to heal.

To take it to a personal level, I thought it would take me maybe 3 to 5 years to be ready to consider marriage again. The Lord has been rebuilding me in the desert. He is able to grow the most beautiful cactus flowers where nobody else can.  In the meantime, I have enjoyed being single again and available. More time to develop and cultivate friendships, to devote to personal interests, for the Lord's service, for travel, etc.