Sometimes a near-perfect event comes along. I experienced one of those this past weekend while attending a District Toastmaster's Conference.

One of many wisdom words I heard was this: Leaders don't whine and point blame; they move forward and entice others to move forward with them. That message reflected and was just about as profound as the one I learned while trying to open my hotel room door.

Upon checking in I received one of those plastic cards with a black strip down the side. I got to my room, set down my weighty purse beside my suitcase and proceeded to slide the card into and down the appropriate receptacle. It was supposed to be simple. I slid the card, turned the card around, started from the top and then from the bottom of the impressive hunk of hardware with exactly the same result. My purse still sat beside my luggage - outside the hotel room. Finally in desperation I dragged everything back a few hallways until I found a member of the cleaning staff. Smiling (at my lack of common sense?), she walked back with me, slid the card in the door as I watched a light turn green. She turned the handle and left. "Oh well, she's done it more than I have" I consoled myself. As much as I hate to admit it, I experienced more than one encore of that performance until, of course, the very last time I had to open the door.

Gently, or perhaps fear-infused, I inserted the card, pulled it down and…voila, the green light came on!

The conference was wonderful, everything I'd hoped for. Above all I was reminded that when God opens doors in our lives, He exerts the power of His gentleness.

"Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5)