What To Do When Opportunity Comes Knocking
Part of the fun of vacation actually begins before we leave. We buy road maps and guidebooks, we make lists of the things we want to do and the places we want to go. The planning helps us imagine the trip and feel like we have something to look forward to, and we can rest easy knowing that things have been taken care of.
We often plan our whole lives this way too. We look forward to graduations and promotions, and we decide what we want our lives to look like. We have goals and intentions, and we make decisions to bring us closer to those goals. We relish being co-creators in our lives, just like in our planned vacations.
But more often than not, we are met with the unexpected, and things don’t go according to plan. Maybe you and your family are driving along, and see an overlook with a beautiful view. Will you refuse to pull over and enjoy the scenery, just because it wasn’t on your itinerary?
Plans are important. Without plans, things don’t happen; we would never even get out the door. But being overly attached to those plans is also dangerous. It sets us up for disappointment and frustration, and blinds us to the gifts that God has in store.
How do you react to the unexpected?
Sometimes, the unplanned moments make the most beautiful, precious memories. Even if it means hitting the pause button on our plans, we should be ready to jump when we see opportunities. If we are too focused on our own plans, we will miss the blessings in disguise. It is important to be open to change, because we never know how God plans to direct our lives.
The Divine Principle tells us that God has already invested ninety-five percent into blessing our lives. In order to receive it, we need to invest the last five percent:
“The Bible says, “The prayer of faith will save the sick man.” (James 5:15); “Your faith has made you well.” (Mark 5:34); For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:8). All these Biblical passages show that the will is predestined to be fulfilled by the accomplishment of man’s own portion of responsibility. We can understand well enough how small were the responsibilities men took charge of in all these instances, compared to God’s responsible portion of toil and grace.” - Divine Principle
Be open to God’s Guidance
Of course, the five-percent effort that God requires of us feels like one-hundred percent. But we can trust that God is guiding our lives. Oftentimes God’s guidance comes in the form of an opportunity, or a little, hidden sign that indicates the less-traveled road. We need to be aware of these little hints and nudges, and we cannot do that if we are always staring straight ahead. Our five-percent responsibility is twofold: making plans, and being open to God’s guidance. Let’s choose to be flexible, and to greet change with gratitude, knowing that God has a bigger plan than what is written on our roadmap.
In fact, let’s even go as far as inviting the unexpected on our journey! Let’s go out of the way to be spontaneous, and navigate the road less traveled, and talk to strangers and go outside of our comfort zone! Let’s seize the day, and make memories with each other: with family, with friends, and with God.