Seize the Opportunity

My God and my Friend,

I choose to seize the opportunities You place in my path.  I can see some opportunities coming on the horizon of my life.  Others appear serendipitously before me.  Discerning between distractions and Divine opportunities is often disconcerting.  I want the wisdom of Your Holy Spirit to know the difference.

"It is one of the great basic facts of life that time and time again an opportunity comes to a man--and it does not come back... The tragedy of life is so often the tragedy of the lost opportunity."  (William Barclay in The Gospel According to Matthew, vol. 1, p. 381).

Yesterday, the burdens seemed too heavy.  The challenges appeared too great.  The obstacles loomed insurmountable.  But You gave strength to carry the load.  I felt You come along side me and perform the heavy lifting.  You solved problems that I could not.  You leveled rough, steep paths where my footing slipped. When the day was through, I realized Your tender care for me.  Thank You for loving me. Thank You for hearing my cry.  Thank You for attending to my concerns so gently, so patiently, so faithfully, so successfully.  I love You.

Carpe diem--seize the day!  Today is before me.  I wait in Your Presence now, asking You to fill me, to prepare me for the unknown and untried that awaits.  You know the way that I take.  I do not.  You have traced the path before me.  I have not.  You have considered and filtered events along my path, lovingly sifting the challenges of my life between Your fingers.  Father-filtered.  You have lovingly rejected those hurdles for which I lack the strength to leap.  You have allowed obstacles to remain for which I doubt I have strength to surmount--but You know better.

I will seize the opportunities You present me today.  By Your grace, I will obey.  I know that I cannot succeed at the great task to which You have called me by my own strength. I need You.  Befriend me again today.  Stand beside me.  Fill me with Yourself.  I pledge myself  to seek every opportunity to honor and glorify You, especially in the hard things, the heavy things, and the insurmountable things which You call me to seize today.

Thank You, Father.
Amen.