Opportunity

I was playing a game yesterday in which I needed four in a row of white gems. Too late, I spotted the opportunity. Dang.

It got me thinking, though, and not about the game.

How many opportunities do we pass by every day? Or simply ignore? Or, worst of all, reject because of pride or fear?

We miss simple things like the chance to forgive an old friend or family member, to shake the hand of a stranger, to offer a hug to someone we haven't seen in awhile. We miss the chance to put a dollar in the red kettle. We don't pick our battles. Instead we get hurt or mad, not seeming to realize that the opportunity may never come again to say 'I forgive you' or 'I'm sorry'.

I'm reminded of our wedding and all the beautiful gifts we received. (In those days crystal and milk glass knickknacks  were popular things to give, and I still have most of them.)  I was a bit slow writing thank-you's, I am ashamed to admit. My dad, bless him, said that some people who had given gifts might appreciate a note before they died. I wrote out a handful and mailed them to Dad's godfather and a few other relatives.

It wasn't a week later that Dad's godfather passed away. How horrible I would have felt if I had missed that opportunity to say 'thank you'!

Since the changes in my life began some three and a half years ago, I have come a long way.  I tend to blurt out how I feel and to express my opinions more forcefully. Sometimes that backfires. Sometimes people think of me as the mouse I used to be and can't accept the woman I have become. So be it.

The chance to make a friend (or to be one), the chance to share our faith and the chance to pay a compliment to someone who needs it are the things that matter. Some miss the job opportunity by procrastinating,  or they miss a chance to succeed, not because of fear of failure but because of fear of success. The chance to say 'thank you' is a big one--we should never miss that!

I still miss opportunities that I wish I had reached for, and I vow that if the chance ever comes again, I will embrace it.

Opportunity is much more than a chance to fill our larders. It is the chance to share our light and our love, and to accept the hand that is offered.