Homeschool Tip: Missed Opportunities

How many opportunities do we miss everyday? A recent experience while traveling has got me pondering that question–and asking God to help me listen more to Him in the moment so I won’t miss the opportunities He brings.

Last week while my husband and I were traveling, I got in a friendly conversation with a woman at one of the rest stops. Now I had just finished reading a book on witnessing, and as I got in the car, I was reminded that meeting this woman was an opportunity to share Jesus. I wished I had thought to bring eternity into the conversation so that I could have shared the Lord or planted a seed. At that point, all I could do was pray.

Six hours later, after lunch and a few more stops, my husband pulled over to yet another rest stop. As I walked into the rest room, I was shocked as the same woman I had met earlier that day came out of one of the stalls! This time we greeted each other like old friends, excited that we would meet again so unexpectedly so many hours later. When she asked where I was going it would have been so easy to say, “I’m going to Virginia right now, but my final destination is heaven, how about you?” Or when she said how nice and strange it was to see me–I could have said, “I wonder if this is not a divine appointment. Can I ask you if you know where you are going to spend eternity?” But, even though I had prayed for her, I was so caught up in the moment I didn’t think to say any of that until I was back in the car. I missed yet another opportunity.

In short, I realized I miss a lot of opportunities all the time, with my children and with those around me. God tells us to be prepared in season and out of season–we never know when an opportunity will come up!

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:5-7

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:1-3