Thankful for Opportunities

I realize that it's a few days early, but it seems a good time to think about Thanksgiving.  Actually, every day should be one of thanks, but what I plan to do is to have a week of Thanksgiving.  On each day this week I intend to write of something for which I am thankful.  I would encourage any of you who read this to do the same.

I will begin with being thankful for opportunities.  We don't all have the same abilities, or talents, but we are all given opportunities to use the ones that we have.  It seems the more times I step forward and accept an opportunity, the more of them come my way -- and the more rewarding they become.

Through the years I have had numerous opportunities to do things that have made a positive difference for others.  Some have been small and some much larger (at least to me).  They seemed to increase in frequency the more that I stepped out in faith and accepted them when presented.  They also came after prayer.

Sometimes I think we fear opportunities because they usually come with risk.  One risk is that of failure.  Another is that they take us out of our comfort zone.  That's where faith comes in.  God gives us opportunities in order to help us to grow.  Until we attempt what we have never done, we don't know that we can do it.  If it is something you are comfortable with doing, it really isn't an opportunity.  Real opportunities stretch us beyond our comfort zone into a place where we must trust that God will provide what is necessary to get us through.

My prayer is that God will continue to bring opportunities my way and that I will have the faith to accept them when they come.  I pray the same for you.  I am thankful that God cares enough about me to provide opportunities for my growth.

"...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you." -- Matthew 17:20