opportunities

Since it is November and since there's a particular day in this month that is set aside to "say thanks", I have decided to dedicate every day during the month of November to blog about the things I am thankful for.

So today, I am thankful for opportunities.

Mark and I were at ihop a couple of Friday's ago for breakfast. It was crowded, so they put us in a long booth seat beside of a table. We sat down and debated (for a long time I might add) what we were going to order for breakfast. I am very indecisive, so ordering food is a long and well-thought-out process. Finally after coming to a decision at the last minute, we ordered and waited for quite some time for our food to arrive. During this time, a sweet older couple was seated in the table beside of us. When the food arrived, Mark prayed, and we began to eat. We ate, we talked, we laughed, we shared stories, we ate some more. The couple that was beside of us had gotten up to leave. The husband had walked up to pay, but the wife had stayed behind. As she was walking away, she leaned over to us, with tears in her eyes, and told us that she noticed we had said "grace" before we ate. She told us how wonderful she thought that was and she went on to share a prayer request for a young family member that was being taken to the hospital at that moment. She told us how much we had blessed her that morning and she walked away. Mark and I just sat there in silence, with tears in our own eyes. I felt as though God himself was literally sitting at that table with us. Praise the Lord for opportunities to live for Him even in the midst of a crowded restaurant!

I tell this story, not to say "oh, look at me", "look at us", "we're great people." I tell it because I'm thankful for the opportunities that God gives us as his children. That lady felt like we were a blessing to her, but she will never know how much of a blessing she was to me that day. I believe God uses moments like that to show us that if we live in His obedience and walk according to His word, then he will present us with opportunities to receive a blessing and to be a blessing. Opportunities present themselves everyday, we just need to be willing and ready to be the light that Christ has called us to be.