Missed Opportunities
by Becci Terrill
“Live wisely among those who are not
believers, and make the most of every opportunity.”
Colossians 4:5 (NLT)
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 Terrill is a wife and mom to
two adult daughters. She is the Children's Ministry Director at Oakwood
Church.
