Closing the Door

My toddler, Katie, has started a fun new phase.  She goes into a room, slams the door, and then cries because she is trapped in the room.  (She isn't tall enough to turn the doorknob yet.)  We have been through this phase already with her, so I thought we were done with it.  But it flared up again.  It's cute, in a way, because when you go in to save her from her own doings, she will be standing by the door looking shocked- despite the fact that she knows very well she closed the door herself.

We didn't do this twice with Anna.  Anna was always very tall.  She locked herself in rooms for about three weeks before figuring out the doorknobs.  Katie is shorter than Anna was, and so she knows the doorknob is the key to getting out, but isn't tall enough to turn the knob.  It must be maddening for her because she can TOUCH it, but not turn it.  I've seen her try- I think she knows what she needs to do, but just isn't physically able to do it yet.

I was watching her do this little game this morning.  She locked herself in the guest room three or four times in fifteen minutes.  The last time she did, she just looked exasperated.  Finally, she wised up and went outside with Anna.  It made me laugh.  It also made me think of my life.  How many times have I slammed a figurative door in my own face, then stood looking at the door as if it had slammed on me on its own?

I think we do this to ourselves a lot.  How often do we make a habit of coming in late to work and then get upset when we aren't the ones promoted?  How often do we gossip about people and then get upset when people don't want to be friends with us?  (I know that no one reading this has ever done anything of this sort... Of course I give examples that are only relevant to the rest of the world...  :D)

I think we do this spiritually as well.  How often do we listen to music or jokes or watch movies/tv shows that are inappropriate, and then wonder why we don't get many spiritual promptings?  How often do we daydream (or play iPad/iPod/smartphone games) in church and then wonder why everyone else was uplifted but we weren't?  How often do we NOT attend the temple, and then wonder why we don't feel the inspiration everyone talks about receiving in the Celestial Room?

Just a thought.