This particular God Story took place in China, where I was in 2012. To set the scene for you, I lived on the fifth floor in an apartment building, in which I was the only foreigner and my spoken Chinese was minimal. The weather at the time had a high moisture level, causing a lot of condensation inside and outside.

On the day in question, I arrived home during the late afternoon. Thankfully, I decided not to get any cooking underway, sat my phone on the coffee table, turned the T.V. on, then went out onto the small balcony to get in my washing.

I opened one side of the double sliding doors, went to close the gap between the open door a little, just enough to have a smaller gap, but my hand slid along the wet glass. The door just slid along the track and closed, locking in two metal clips and leaving me locked outside on the balcony.

I was locked out. I was stunned, wondering what to do!I tried to open the door, tried to lift it off its track, just kept trying to open it, until I resigned myself to the fact I could not get in. I didn’t have my phone. I couldn’t get to any other apartment. I couldn’t climb down…I thought “should I call out to anyone?” but I didn’t know how to say “help me my door is locked?”.

All kinds of thoughts were crossing my mind: how long will I be out here; when will I be missed; what if a fire truck is sent to get me down…oh that would be an event!

It was getting dark and the air was damp and misty. For awhile, I sat on a small chair, watching T.V. from outside on the verandah, thinking “no sleep for me tonight, no work tomorrow”, wondering when I would be missed. All this went on for a long two hours, or more, and during this time I tried again and again to slide the door open, but it wouldn’t open. The metal locks had clicked into each other and were not budging.

After two hours or so stuck out on the small balcony, I decided that this was not where I wanted to stay for the night! I was fed up with this situation: feeling cold, hungry and tired. In all my attempts to open the door with no success, there was something I hadn’t tried: prayer!

So, I started pacing back and forth across the small balcony, speaking in tongues. Then, I placed my hands on the sliding door and said “Jesus, I can’t open this door; it’s too hard for me; I don’t have the strength, but I know you can and I demand this door be opened now in the name of Jesus”. And, do you know what? The door unlocked and I was able to slide it open!

I stood there, looking at this door now open and rushed inside, praising God! God answers prayer, and this prayer was answered very quickly!

In the days following, I retold my story, especially to my Chinese friends, who received a powerful testimony of my prayer and belief in God’s strength that He opened the door for me! There was absolutely nobody else around to do that other than God! Their response? “It must have been God!”, which of course, it was.

I leave you with this prayer from Psalm 91: 14: “Because He loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”

Thank you for allowing me to share my God story.

Vickie Gracie