Because some opportunities NEVER come back…#urgencyofNOW

Posted by yoditkifle on Sep 05, 2014 in Life: Empty & Full, Note To Self

I never wanted to believe it when people would tell me that there were some opportunities that present themselves that would never present themselves again if not taken at that moment.

In my mind, I thought, well if God wanted me to have it, then it would come again. And I learned more recently, that it isn’t all the way true. Because, there are some opportunities that when God gives it to you, it’s because the impact it has for that moment can’t be duplicated. It’s for that NOW. And yes, God can redeem it but it won’t have the same impact that it could have had.

Here is my story:

I have a colleague who has been sick for a while now. One day, I was running late to work and ended up parking in the garage that I normally don’t park in but because of the way I think, I told God, “Well…I’m late. I guess you should use me even in my tardiness.”

Be careful what you tell God to do. He will do it.  And He did.

As I pull in, I see my co-worker whom I admire very much and enjoy talking to and learning form because of the person that they are. Brilliant in thought. Humorous. Hard worker. And…for the past 5 years, I’ve known that God had a hand on his life whether he really knew it or not.

We ended up parking next to each other and walked and talked till we got to the elevator. As he’s talking, Holy Spirit said to me, “Tell him you want to pray for him and that you believe in the power of healing.” Now…when I heard this, it made sense to me because of what I had been experiencing in God at that point. I had been studying healing and have been asking God for opportunities to pray and believe for healing for people. And it seemed like this was one of those opportunities.

BUT….

Fear set in. Flesh set in. Thoughts of feeling as if that would just be too weird set in. I couldn’t see myself stopping in the middle of this garage deck and laying hands on him.

And so as we are talking about his health, my spirit is screaming, “PRAY.”

My flesh is screaming “NOT NOW”.

And within that split second, I missed the opportunity.

I walked away ashamed. Asking God to forgive me. And He did. But it still stung.

Fast forward a day ago when I find out that this same co-worker was diagnosed with bone cancer.

My heart hurt for him. I cried that he had to go through this. And the Lord quickly reminded me of that moment in that garage deck where I had that opportunity to pray for him.

What IF I had done it? What IF that moment could have kept this moment from happening?

And you know what…I could live in the WHAT IF’s and wallow in guilt. But that’s not what God wanted. I knew that in that moment when God reminded me of that time, it was so that I received the urgency of the NOWs that God gives us in doing something OUTSIDE of fear, for His glory.

He says in His word:

 “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4, NIV).

God will redeem this. I know He will because now there will be opportunities to pray for him and share Jesus with him in these next moments of his journey. I still believe for healing. Still believing that God will use this illness to draw him closer.

But that other time will NEVER come again. And yes, a part of me still wonders. But now more of me says, I will be ready for the next opportunity. I will do the work that he sends me to do.

AND, for that to happen, I need to remain in His presence so I can be sensitive to His presence in my daily walk and let go of the fear of looking weird. Being rejected. Or any other nonsense. And you know what puts that more into perspective for me?  When I know that we have brothers and sisters being persecuted and beheaded in the Middle East all for the cause of Christ! And we can’t even pray for people?

These  times are serious. If I’ve ever believed that, it is NOW.

God is moving. God is shaking this Earth so that His sons and daughters can wake up and start PROCLAIMING who He is in all parts of life. In our jobs. Homes. Communities. Schools. Everywhere we are. He is.

And God WILL show up! I promise you. He WILL show up. Believe Him and trust that He wants to use you NOW!

Because as hard as it is to say, some opportunities will never come again.