Missed Opportunities

Our youngest dug in. He was so angry. A friend had been harsh with him; but the truth is, he'd been asking for it all day, pushing every button he could to get the wrong sort of attention. He got it. "Look," I said, "I know you're angry, and maybe your friend really took it to another level. But when we refuse to apologize, we say more about our character than about the other person's wrongdoing. Unforgiveness and pride will make you miserable; not him." Good talk, right? Very motherly, very wise. He wasn't having it. He dug in further. 

I dug in. I was annoyed. Our youngest had been carrying on for hours, breaking every rule known to man. He was angry we'd disciplined him earlier in the day. Starved for attention and stuck in the house (Whose punishment is this anyway?!), he tormented the dog, stood on the chair, threw paper all over the floor, paced the kitchen. He'd finally decided to go get something to do. "Mom, is your office door closed?" Nope, I replied curtly; indicating he was not to "go exploring" in the basement. I remained seated, unwilling to help him despite my idleness, despite his willingness to find something constructive to do. 

Sin, for sure; but missed opportunities as well. We often rue the call for an interview that never came or the stomach bug that laid us up the day of our sister's wedding; these are missed opportunities. We pity ourselves and sorrow over those events that went on without us. We are self-centered creatures. But what about the compliment we never gave or the gentle words we could have spoken instead? What about the prayer we could have prayed, or the gentle hand we never laid on a grieving father's shoulder? These, too, are missed opportunities. Our youngest missed the opportunity to apologize and restore relationship. I missed the opportunity to love him in his rebellion and show him mercy. And I think it safe to say, we have all, on occasion, missed the opportunity to obey, to be salt and light, to be a part of what God is doing in this world and bring Him glory. We might not think of it often, but God's commands and the heart-prickings of the Holy Spirit are opportunities to join with Him in doing something miraculous; bringing hope to the hopeless, freeing the captive, comforting the grief-stricken. When we refuse to restore relationship or show another mercy, we are not just petulant, selfish and sinful children; we have relinquished the gift of partnership with Christ Himself. 

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

Jesus' words to Martha (Luke 10) remind us not just to prioritize, not just to slow down and pay attention to important things, but to seize the opportunity for relationship and quiet when it presents itself. 

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."

We all know the story (Jonah 1-4): rebellion, a hungry fish, repentance, and still more bitterness. God's summons to a prophet was not just an executive order, but an invitation also; for Jonah to celebrate with a city full of new believers, brothers and sisters grafted into God's plan, brothers and sisters Jesus commended almost a thousand years later! Jonah chose resentment instead.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 

That's some tough stuff there (Matthew 5:44). The other challenges Jesus offers in His sermon are no easy thing either. But we are not alone. He has given His Holy Spirit to help us become the type of people who are not easily offended, who forgive quickly and love abundantly. We have only to be willing to accept His offer, to say Yes! to following after Him, listening to the direction and conviction of the Spirit. We partner with Jesus in giving the Father glory with our lives. What an opportunity!

Throughout Scripture, men and women were called to partner with our Savior in doing the will God on earth. Did God need the help of Samson to defeat the Philistines? Did He need a small boy to hand over his lunch that thousands might be fed? Of course not, but for those who were willing, to listen, to share, to be the hands and feet of Christ, these were most gracious, generous opportunities for humanity to be a part of something wonderful and "impossible". It is no different today. God is calling you to do something. It might be great; it might be small. Listen and prepare to seize the opportunity. To refuse is to lose.