Missed Opportunities
Have you ever passed a penny on the ground, but neglected to retrieve it because. . . well, it was JUST a penny, after all! A penny can't buy anything now days.
This happened to me the other day. I was rushing across the street when I spotted the little piece of copper. I did not stop to pick it up. I just kept my pace and rushed past. The very next day, I was dropping my son off at his daycare when I spotted another penny on the ground.
"It's just a penny," I thought.
Since I was in a great hurry, I sped off and left the money on the ground for a second time. As I made my way out of the parking lot and then down the street, I couldn't stop the thought that popped into my head.
"That was a missed opportunity," I thought.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that little opportunities can combine into big results. I was reminded of the Community Christian Church's vacation Bible school this year. One morning, the children brought all the pennies that they could find. Those worthless pieces of change combined together resulted in a large amount of money that was donated to a children's home in India. What if the children would have refused to bring their pennies because they knew that a penny is not worth much? What a missed opportunity that would have been.
I believe, we should help hold each other up above the trying circumstances that come our way in life. I know that there have been times that a co-worker or friend has passed me, and because I was tired, I refused to look up and greet them with a smile. It is only a smile. What difference can a smile make in someone's day? In my own experiences, sometimes a smile can give me strength when I have none of my own because it lets me know someone else cares. Though a smile may seem insignificant, not giving it would be a lost opportunity.
Sometimes I get caught up in trying to make such a big difference in the world that I miss so many important opportunities. I miss them because they seem too small and insignificant. I want to make a BIG difference, not do things that hardly matter. What a silly thought. Who are we to decide if something will make a big difference or a small difference? We are not God. We cannot see the end result. We can only accept the opportunities laid before us.