The “open/closed” sign that always hung on the front door. The sign that reads in a beautifully intricate font, “Brookhaven Christian Bookstore.” I remember the early mornings flipping the sign to “OPEN” as my mom wiped away the tiredness from her eyes or the late nights when I flipped it to “CLOSED,” hoping we would get to leave in time for dinner. The sign that has been permanently stuck on “CLOSED” ever since September 30th, 2019. I remember walking into the store and feeling the comfort of its green carpet, hoping it would be able to comfort me forever, but I also remember realizing there would be a day that the green carpet would be gone, along with the comfort that it brought. The sign that hangs in my room so that every single time I see it, I remember walking into the store. Watching the store close taught me what true loss was and how sometimes God puts people and places in our lives that are not meant to stay. Instead, he uses them to mold us into the people we will become. So now, as I look at that sign hanging on my wall, destined to be permanently closed, I remember that God will provide just as He used the store to provide for my family while it was open and just as he provided a way for us to survive when it closed.
Pensworth 