Opportunity Lost

Lord today I was looking for opportunities to speak to people to you all day, but I think I’m even more out of practice than I thought.  First I was sitting on the bus and I started thinking though all of the people in the office building – and you know, I don’t even know if there are even any other Christians among them.  So then I got to wondering who might be a Christian, you know.  So I thought about who is around that reflects your character.  But that was hard too.  What do you look for in people to guess if they’re Christians?

Maybe if I ever heard any of them talk about going to Church or Bible Study or praying or something – but then I don’t talk about those things either … All you hear in the tea room is – well – shop or gossip.

Anyway, I must have been fairly quiet and concentrating quite hard because the person next to me gets my attention and says to me, “Excuse me, are you alright? You look upset.  Do you need a tissue?”

So I thank her and take one.

Then she goes, “Is there something bothering you, anything you’d like to talk to me about? I know you don’t know me, but I will listen if you want to talk.”

She was really nice, but I told her that I didn’t think that she could do much to help me but thanked her anyway.  It’s a pity she didn’t say, “Hey, do you know anything about God, I’ll listen if you can tell me anything about him.”

Later on in the tea room I thought I would get a good opportunity.  When I was there with just Gina … We came so close to getting to a gospel conversation.  I mean she said to me, “You look like you have something really important you want to talk to me about.”; and then Scott walks in whistling ‘Highway to Hell’ of all things and interrupts with his usual “Hel-lo everybody”.  I think he’d say that if there was nobody in the room.  I don’t know how his wife puts up with it – I’ve seen him do it to the contents of the fridge at work.

Anyway, that puts an end to my chance to have a quiet conversation with Gina, so I just told her it was nothing really and offered her some of my avocado.

Lord, I’d really love to have a real opportunity with Gina.  She needs you to hold her steady.  You know just how broken she is after she and her partner broke up last year and how isolated she’s becoming now that she’s not spending time with the friends they shared.  Help her to see you as someone she can turn to who is both gracious and faithful.  Both forgiving and fulfilling.  Please help me to be bold and share your word with her.

Father help me to be on the lookout for opportunies to speak your word to people.

Amen.