By Josephine Lim
Isaiah 43
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Colossians 4
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;
make the most of every opportunity.
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
A month ago, it suddenly dawned on me that I should pray for God to open my eyes to see what He wants me to see, to hear what He wants me to hear and open my heart to embrace all that he has for me. Whenever I remember my prayer, I would become alert of my surroundings but other times I would forget as I got caught up with self or with task at hand that I missed opportunities that come my way to shine God’s love and grace.
So often we prayed without expecting God to answer swiftly hence due to our lack of expectation that we missed seeing our prayers answered. So often we have mistaken God-given opportunity as nothing more than just there for us to ignore or taken lightly of.
A week ago while on my way to work, I was stopped by a Chinese businessman in his 60s who wanted to visit Big Ben. He doesn’t speak English thus asked me politely whether I speak Mandarin. He was so relieved that I could hence I guided him back to the right direction towards Big Ben. While walking, I found that he wasn’t keen on getting an oyster travel card for use on public transport. He had only US Dollars and would fly back to Beijing in the next two days. It didn’t occur to me at that moment until I had arrived into my office half an hour later that I could have offered him some cash even though I didn’t have any at that time but could have withdrawn some for him. What a waste of opportunity to do something significant for someone but all I could do was to pray that he would come across a money changer if he needed some cash.
On the same day, I arrived home from work. I made some Spaghetti Bolognese and my housemate Agne came down to make her dinner but she was having difficulty slicing a block of dried meat furthermore she wasn’t feeling well so I offered her some spaghetti bolognese of which she happily accepted. She told me she hasn’t been feeling well for weeks and tried everything to get better but didn’t seem to take effect. I was giving her all the “practical” natural remedies that I could think of but she had tried it all. After she left to return to her room that it dawned on me I should have offered to pray for her or just declare healing over her as what I did sometimes with Sarah. Hence I realised how easily to have missed two precious opportunities in one day from doing something more significant for others.
In life, we could be so superficial or seems “practical” and “common” that we fail to shine when opportunity comes knocking. Like a teacher who asked her class to list down Seven Wonders of the World of which majority of her students answered with the practical and common answers such as Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon, Great Wall of China, etc until a little girl’s turn came, a bit hesitant at first but decided to read from her list, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are to see, to hear, to touch, to feel, to laugh and to love.” How often have we taken all these for granted. They are simple, natural and yet so powerful but how often we had failed to use them.
I’m still very much determined not to lose my “Snowdonian smile” after my solo trip there where I was moved by the warmth and hospitality of its people. I’ve decided although Londoners are famous of being not so friendly but I chose to be different by smiling and acknowledging people I see in the morning and evening as I walk to and from work as what Sarah my housemate is doing. Now I have several people regardless of gender or age that I could acknowledge and greet every morning.
Let’s be conscious of who we are. We are not identified by our religion, race, social status, occupation, etc but we are identified with Christ the highest calling that surpasses all human comprehension and expectation. Christ dwells in us and that is our permanent identity. Let us not miss any more opportunities but be alert enough to take ownership of every opportunity to shine and embrace all that is given to us for His glory and honour. We have prayed wanting to be more Christ-like and effective so get ready and be alert as God certainly answers.
1 Timothy 4
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
