Whatsit Wednesday - Door handles

“As dumb as a doorknob.” I’ve heard that one before. But are doorknobs really that dumb? And what is a doorknob? I had always heard of door handles, but a doorknob? I remember the movie “Bedknobs and broomsticks” but that was a bed knob - a knob on a bed. And door handles can certainly be different from country to country. 

When I was young and living in the US, we had doorknobs that had a little button in the center. If you went to the bathroom (the place where you could use the toilet and also take a bath), you could push the button and shut the door. This would lock the door so that no one would walk in on you. When you were ready to leave, you simply turned the handle and the door unlocked, popping the button out from its locked position. 

This type of doorknob was especially useful if you had little kids. The other type had a small turnable button that did the same thing. Problem was often that a small child could get the door locked, but could not get it unlocked, leaving him or her crying for help to anyone within earshot. 

This system was not only meant for bathroom doors. The front doo of our house worked the same way, although there was also a deadbolt on it to make sure that all was locked up safely. Still, you could have the door unlocked during the day, which meant that we could enter from outside simply by turning the handle and pushing the door open. 

Perhaps that sounds strange to you. “Turning the handle”? Here in Belgium and The Netherlands the doorknob on the outside of the house door is just that - a knob. There is often nothing to turn. (That is a picture of our front door) On the inside of the door is a handle. This can be turned to open the door. It can also be locked with the deadbolt that accompanies it. But the door is not open from the outside. Anyone wanting to enter must have a key or ring the bell to get in. Unless of course you are in The Netherlands where the letter box is also in the door. Parents wanting their kids to be able to get in would hang a string attached to the latch out the mailbox. The kids could pull the string, pulling the latch and opening the door.

Often this knob is not even on the side of the door, where an American might expect a handle to be. It could simply be a great big knob in the middle of a great big door. When you leave your house you simply pull on the knob, closing the door behind you. Your house is closed (though not completely locked). 

Handles, knobs, locks - things can be different in different places. The same has been true in all of the places God has brought us. Some cultures are easier to talk to about religious topics. In some places you can mention Jesus without anyone looking at you strangely. In other places, you might have to approach such a conversation differently. In all cases, God is the one who opens the doors if we are willing to follow Him and try - whether it is a knob or handle.