Missed Opportunities
By
Becci Terrill
“Live
wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every
opportunity.”
Colossians
4:5 (NIV)
The day started out
just like every other day - - read my Bible, shower, get ready for work, let
the dogs out, eat breakfast - - the typical routine, until one of my dogs
decided he was going to give me some love, and put his paws on my lap. Now,
those of you who love dogs are thinking “Aw… how precious,” and the rest of you
are wondering, “Okay, where is this leading?” Well, the dog had just
come inside, and his paws were covered with dirt. To make matters worse, today
was the day I thought cream-colored trousers would be the perfect thing to
wear, and they were…until their contact with dirty doggy paws!
Fortunately, when paws
met pants, I didn’t yell…but even Champ knew he needed to vacate my lap
IMMEDIATELY! Questions raced: “Is this dirt going to come out?”
“What can I wear now?” “How late will I be for work?”
It wasn’t until I was
driving to work that I saw the big picture and realized I’d missed an
opportunity. My devoted friend had made a special effort to show his affection
to me, and I, caught up in selfish concerns, had missed the meaning of the
moment and an opportunity to respond to his love.
The situation made me
stop and think: How many other opportunities do I miss during the
day? I get so caught up in my life, activities and business. Unlike
faithful canine companions, people aren’t always as forgiving of my selfish
behavior. Colossians 4:5 instructs us to “live wisely among those who are not
believers, and make the most of every opportunity.” Instead of being wrapped up
in my own life, I want to be aware of the people around me and intentionally
share the love of Jesus with them. Sometimes all we have is the moment - - one
opportunity to respond or reach out to another individual. We may never know
how impactful a smile, a kind word, a listening ear or a hug will be in the
life of another, but God does. I don’t want to look back on a missed
opportunity with another person and think, “I should have done this, or said
that…”
God got my attention
with some dirty doggy paws and cream-colored pants. My attention is focused in
the right direction now…I don’t want to miss an opportunity to impact a life
for eternity!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Who or what has God
placed in your life right now that is pleading for or demanding your attention?
2. Instead of considering
this an “inconvenience,” consider: How might God use me to minister
to this individual or group?
FOR FURTHER READING:
Becci
is a wife and mother of two adult daughters and is the Director of Ministry
Partnerships at Shepherds Ministries in Union
Grove, WI. She serves as WE Women’s Special Events Coordinator
and teaches 4th grade Sunday School.
