What Will You Do With Your Small Opportunity?

Most of us have some sort of dream or desire to do something in life. We travel through life reading others' quotes, seeing posters, watching them on TV, or seeing them in movies and we may want to be like them in some way. I would guess that your list is longer than 10 if you started compiling one. As you think of different parameters to determine your desires, your list will grow.

Maybe it is fame - you'd have a certain list. Maybe it is money - another list. Maybe it is a specific talent - another list. Maybe it is appearance - another list. Adding them all together would likely create a decent sized list.

There are only so many people in this world that will be known for something "great" they did. However, there are billions of people who will not be known for the small things they did to make someone's life that much better. That brings us to this week's quote...

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. ~ Sally Koch

When I started my job at the hospital I went through orientation. One of the things I remember our CEO emphasizing was helping others out, with an unwritten emphasis on "no matter the cost." In other words, we could be late to a meeting to make sure customers were helped out.

Last week I was at the hospital and a lady was noticably lost. She was at the elevator and trying to get back to a classroom she was having a training at. When asked, she said she was looking for the classroom. She had taken a "wrong turn" and was opposite where she should have been. I told her that I would take her to the classroom (another suggestion by our CEO - don't just tell directions, show them). We had a brief but pleasant conversation and connected on several levels. I explained that I was relatively new, so I understood her being lost, as I am still learning the layout.

I like the philosophy of our CEO by showing them where to go, rather than just telling them directions. I like the fact that I doubt I will ever run into that lady again (as she was also from out of town), but I would like to think that if she were asked her impression of that portion of our hospital would be favorable.

Was that a "great" opportunity. By my definition, no it wasn't. To the woman who was lost, it may have been. So it definitely was a small opportunity. I think all people's lives are going to be filled with small opportunities. However, small opportunities can make great differences in the lives of people.

As you go through life, look for the opportunities to make the small differences in people's lives...as it may make a great difference to the people you meet.

Now it's your turn...what small opportunities have you taken advantage of to make a difference in someone's life?

Obstacle vs. Opportunity

For many, during the holiday season, presents obstacles. Some would be categorized under financial. Buying or the desire to buy gifts for others becomes rough, due to limitations.

However, there are other obstacles that may come about. Relationships, job, weather, etc. may bring about issues that financial cannot even fix. But what do you do with obstacles, do you allow them to become opportunities? That brings us to this week's quote...

"What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity." ~ J. Sidlow Baxter

Whether life is in the holiday mode or just going from day-to-day, obstacles present opportunities. Where are the opportunities? Right there! We must open our eyes to see them. The opportunity in a financial situation may not be to cause you to be better off but to learn to do something better in the future.

There are opportunities all around you. Opportunities to smile during a busy holiday season. Opportunities to be patient in a long line. Opportunities to show your faith to those who do not know Christ.

Make the the most opportunities this holiday season! Now it's your turn...how do you feel about the quote?

FALL: Love Mercifully

How deep does your love go? You may say that it depends on the person. I think we are all at that point. However, isn't it great that God didn't have that same philosophy? To love mankind didn't "depend on the person." In a world full of "who you know" then it is nice to have a God that loves us all evenly and sent His son for everyone.

Imagine if our love from God was based on a point system or we were placed on tiers. The stress that would cause may be too much for some to handle. I know I'd struggle. But oftentimes, we treat others as if they were on a point system or how close they are to us, right?

Look across some of the people you know...wouldn't you do "more" for some than you would for someone else? It seems natural to do that, though it may not be correct. Sunday, we looked at the Parable of the Good Samaritan and how the person who received the parable was instructed to "love mercifully." As we reflect on that, here are some applications to choose from to use...

• Finding a Loophole ~ Sometimes employees or students will fulfill a requirement but only do what is required of them, nothing more. Of course, in some cases doing more will not get you further, but not all things are tangible that may be doing more. When you are asked to do something, are you ever tempted to just do the minimum? Have you ever "looked the other way" at something that needs done? May we not not look for a loophole in our quest to fulfill any requirement laid before us.
• Look for Opportunities ~ To turn a blind eye to help someone is a way of missing an opportunity. The opportunity may not be to help them with their actual request, it could mean to help them in another way (which is almost limitless) Keep your eyes open to see how you can offer a hand of mercy to someone. (Please don't limit yourself to think of only ways you can help that are physical)
• Fight Through ~ One time I was asked if I would offer to help someone if they had just "hit me." I said "Yes." This was s surprise to them (the setting was a teachable moment while subbing in a school). Once I was being treated poorly by my employer and in my last remaining days fighting through to still give 100% was difficult, but I was able to do it. May you fight through times that are tempting to not offer your kindness to someone.

To love (action) by doing it mercifully (adjective describing the action) is deep. It may be difficult to do, but we are challenged to do that to our "neighbors."

May we be the best "Good Samaritans" we can be this week!

Now it's your turn...what has been your experience with "good Samaritans?"

Take the Opportunities

“What if?” That question could be applied to so many different situations. As I look at that question it means that I am probably looking back on something with a sense of regret or wonder about a decision I made.

The decision could have been one where I didn’t make any choice, not just a “good versus bad” choice. Either way I am looking back to that point and wondering.

There are things that I’ve decided in life that I wondered “what if” about. When it comes down to it, I’ll never know the answer – which can be a very frustrating point, if you dwell on it. As we reflect on this concept, this brings us to this week’s quote…

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it.  ~ William Feather

If you want to have happiness you need to keep an eye out for it. You may have had plenty of opportunities for happiness, but you passed it up for something else. Maybe it was because you were busy or just overlooked it. Regardless, you passed it up. Now, when you are at a point of frustration in your life you may be looking at a situation and saying “what if?”

Take every opportunity to find happiness. It may not be packaged the way you think it should or in a “recognizable” package. When you look for it you won’t be saying “what if” after you passed it.  Stop and enjoy life!

Don’t Pass Up Opportunities

I enjoy going to auctions. I have learned to like auctions and garage sales from my father. He enjoyed going to garage sales and looking through the miscellaneous to try to find the hidden treasure. He would go to consignment auctions when I was a teen and sit there and watch the crates of miscellaneous pass by. Bidding on some…letting others pass.

He disappointed me many times in the sense that I didn’t get what I wanted. It wasn’t something I think negatively about, but at the time I wanted things and disappointed by not getting them. However, I really enjoyed looking at the boxes and crates of stuff he would buy. I would look through them in search of a treasure.

One thing that common about an auction is if you don’t bid or bid high enough, someone will be there to take it from you.  That is the way it is with opportunities, which brings us to this week’s quote…

Opportunities are never lost, someone always takes the ones you miss.  ~ Unknown

Life is like an auction. You go through life seeing crates and boxes of opportunities pass before you. Will you bid on them? Will you keep bidding to buy them? Or will you let them slip pass you. If you let it slip past, someone will take it from you.

You didn’t lose the opportunity, based on this quote, you just let someone else take it.
Look at the opportunities as potential for someone…make sure that someone is you!

Create Who You Want to Be

It seems in life there really needs to be a moment of creation. Something needs to be created before the rest can fall into place. As I write I think of several examples where this holds true (I will save a few for later). If something is not created, then what follows will not be what could have been or non-existent.

Life is about discovery. I just told my wife the other day how much I enjoy watching our 2 (nearly 3) year old play. How he will use certain toys or phones or household items to role play is priceless. As we think about discovery and creation, here is this week’s quote…

The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.  You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew.  Seek, therefore not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be.  ~ Conversations With God

My son would not be able to discover the things he does if he didn’t create the scene with the toys he chooses. A person will not discover a passion for a new talent if they do not create the opportunity by being willing to try new things. One will not discover what college is like if they do not create the path to get there and be willing to take that path.

Feel free to give your examples by leaving a comment…

To discover what is at the end of a tunnel, you must create the moment to move toward and be willing. Discovery is about creating a way to arrive at the point of discovery. As you look to find out who you want to be, create moments to get you to that point and enjoy the process of discovery as you venture down that path.

Opportunities Everywhere

For more than a week this area has been running rampant with roof repair salespeople.  This sudden increase was due to the tennis ball sized hail that we received.  Obviously, as a result, roofs will be greatly affected. Therefore, I’ve had at least three people stop by my door just hoping for the opportunity to make some money.

Because of the short-lived storm, these salespeople, all from out of town, saw opportunities everywhere they turned.  This brings us to this week’s quote…

An enthusiastic heart sees opportunity everywhere.  ~ Joe Simmons, aka “Rev Run

These people are enthusiastic about making some money.  They have definite incentives.  However, don’t Christians also have a very similar incentive?  Getting to heaven and taking as many with them as possible.  Looking around and seeing the “fields” that are “white” for harvest is something many Christians tend to miss.

Why? We aren’t looking. If we do try to look we’re often trying the hard approach, the “quick sale” approach.  We aren’t trying the “sow seed and let God work” approach.

If you are at all excited about your faith, this is a wake up to see the opportunities that are all around you.  Ways for you to be there for someone, even when they do not realize they need to be a part of your faith.

Faith is catchy, make it enthusiastic and see the opportunities that are everywhere you look…don’t forget to do the looking!

This is What the Lord Will Do - Joshua 10:24-25

Scariness is scary. Being afraid is frightening. Those may sound redundant, repetitive, and elementary. However, no matter how basic, it is true. When you are in the middle of something that constitutes you being scared, it is scary. You don't know how you are going to get through the situation. Being scared usually renders you being powerless to the situation.

Think of the parent who sits in the waiting room anticipating the success of the "experimental procedure". Think of the individual who just got laid off after working in the company for 15 years. Think of the elderly woman who is being surrounded by a group of young men asking for her purse. Think of the person who runs off the road in the middle of a blizzard, their car won't start and a window is broken letting in the cold air. Think of those who have fallen victim to hijacking.

The list of scary situations could go on and on. However, each situation is just plain scary. When you are in those situations you are essentially powerless.

There were times when the Israelites, and their leader, Joshua, were also scared. They were scared going into battle. Joshua was scared taking over the responsibilities of leading all these people, where Moses had once led.

Yesterday, we began a series on the book of Joshua. Though there was fright on the part of Joshua and the people, God wanted them to know to be "strong and courageous". That is one of our biggest messages to take from this first lesson, but here are a few more applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Prayer ~ Before you go into battle, pray. While you are in battle, pray. When you are anticipating battle, pray. When you are discouraged, pray. When you are scared, pray. Prayer has so many uses...use it!
2. Look Forward to the Victory ~ If you knew you were going to coast to a championship, would you be as concerned about the game/event? You would probably be so relaxed that you "wouldn't care", so you may tend to be a bit overconfident, etc. Overconfidence in God is great! You get to anticipate the victories! God will give them to you! Look for them!
3. Do Not Be Afraid ~ Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
4. Re-Read #3 many times ~ We need to know that God will take care of us and give us the victories. We need reminded!
5. Look for God in Your "Battles" ~ Keep your eyes open to what possibilities God is presenting you with this week as you have different encounters.

It is important that we understand that when you are walking with Him and trying to do His will, you and God make a majority. It is important when it comes to battles you encounter as you go through each day.

I can't promise that there will never be anything that happens physically to you. However, the Bible does show us that God is with us as we go through life. He will take care of us as we try to live for Him. It may not always be physical, but we will be taken care of, despite the earthly hardships.

You may never see "what the Lord will do" but the reassurance that comes through the book of Joshua is awesome. I get so excited to see what God can do when I walk with Him!

Looking for the opportunities in the battles...

Don't Miss the Opportunity

The first part of this week was a lot of fun! It started off by going to five different campuses to pray for the students and teachers in our congregation. What better way to start off a school year than to pray over our students and teachers? We also prayed for the school and staff, etc. It was followed by a fun get-together. It really pumped me up for the week.

Then, on Tuesday, our church had the opportunity to be apart of a 'welcome back' day with the local community college. We had free packs of gum with a website to visit and a "mega" movie basket to give away to one lucky winner. The basket really caught the attention of those passing by!

Both of these situations could be identified as "opportunities". They were opportunities to ask God to be with our students and teachers as they start their school year and to expose ourself to the college students. They were not something we had to do, they were something we chose to do...and boy, am I glad we did. Speaking of 'opportunities' that brings us to this week's quote...

Opportunities are like sunrises - if you wait too long, you miss
them. ~William Arthur Ward

Though the first 'activity' was an 'inreach' activity, meaning that it specifically centered on our church people, the second was 'outreach'. I was blown away at how many kids seemed interested in needing a place to go to church. They wanted to know where we were, and I fully believe they were sincere (I am not saying they will all come our way).

What would have happened if we didn't go out there and spend about 3 hours of our time (not counting all the prep we did)? Would the kids have thumbed through the yellow pages looking for 'us'? Probably not very many, if any. However, the fact that we took the opportunity to go to their campus and meet us in an informal manner, may make a big difference. If not right now, who knows what the future will hold, after the seed has been planted.

Take opportunities...they're not here for very long! Just like a sunrise!

Take opportunities...
- to smile
- to say hi
- to open a door
- to welcome a newcomer
- to leave a big tip
- to leave a kind note
- to say "I love you"
- to compliment
- to shake a hand
- to hug a neck
- to write a nice card
- to be appreciative
- to be kind
- to play with your kids
- to tell your spouse how beautiful/handsome they are
- to send a text of kindness or appreciation
- to leave a comment on this post with more suggestions

Don't waste them...they're gone in a bit...don't wait too long!

Learning to take each and every opportunity...