March 12 Lenten Reflection: OPPORTUNITY
Lord, help us to be holy, provide us with opportunity to share the Good News of the HOPE within us.
It is easy to look back on our lives and realize the times when we were less than holy, when we were
self-serving and putting our own needs above God’s design for our lives. Lent provides us with an
occasion to reflect upon those shortcomings, to pray more deeply, experience sorrow for what we have
failed to do, and to give more generously to those in need.
The following lines, spoken by Morgan Freeman as God in the 2007 movie "Evan Almighty," really hit a
chord with me when I first heard them. "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do
you think God gives him patience? Or, does God give him opportunities to be patient? If someone prays
for courage, does God give him courage? Or, does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If
someone prays for his family to become closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or
does he give them opportunities to love each other?"
Daily opportunities come to each of us. In our busy world, we can bring hope to all we meet along the
journey. Our mission is rooted in our baptism, our promise to fulfill Christ’s command "to love one
another" as he loves and proclaim the Kingdom through word and deed. God will challenge us time and
again to give resources: clothes, food, money, shelter, or the gift of our time, through a phone call,
hospital visit, words of encouragement, or in prayer. We cannot let these appointed tasks become
missed opportunities.
An ancient African proverb sums it up very well: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the next
best time is now." "Heavenly Father, you have set situations in my life that challenge me to give without
reservation. Continue to provide me with opportunities to be Christ to others. Encourage me in prayer
to strengthen my determination to know and serve You. "
May God bless your kindness, and may the Holy Spirit protect you now and forever.
Deacon Cliff Homer
[email protected]