Opportunity

From Evan Almighty ... God, "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

God has given me many opportunities as of late to be a leader, to trust, to appreciate life. It is not always easy to be confronted with these "opportunities." If you have not noticed, most of God's opportunities are meant to help you grow into yourself. Growth is not exactly a comfortable thing. In fact, is growth ever comfortable?

I look at Evan and I have to believe that growth does not always have to be uncomfortable. I have been observing her figuring things out, walking about, working with words and communication. Maybe what makes it so nice for her to grow is two parents applauding her as she tries different things and picking her up and holding her when she falls. We encourage our children to grow. Do we as a society stop encouraging each other to grow or do we just forget how to recognize encouragement from others? Maybe God's "opportunities" are encouragement. After all, He/She is just trying to help us get what we want. Huh?

I don't think that I have ever been as clear as to what I want in life. Evan has definitely improved my focus and drive. Many of the things that are coming at me right now are very challenging in deed. I have been on the verge of complete overwhelm and have almost given up several times. But I always go back to faith. I mean, wow, the bigness of it all. Anything is possible. In fact there is an ocean of possibilities that are within reach. Some of these possibilities seem negative, some seem very positive. I focus on the best possible outcomes and work towards allowing those to happen. This is what it's all about; focus, trust and movement.

So, stuff happens. I believe that it is all in the direction of my growth. It is God's attempt to bring out the best in me. And so I continue, with hand on heart and joy in my eyes.

I tried the alternative to this. It wasn't much fun.