Yesterday as hubby as leaving for work the sun was shining so brilliantly! We’re close to the longest day of the year, so the sun is way over to the northeast … the furthest northeast it will be all year. Which means, the brilliant sunshine was shining directly on the hummingbird feeder sitting on the front porch railing.
It was striking! It made me stop in my tracks at the brilliance shining off the water in the hummingbird feeder! The sun never shines from that angle, and it never hits that particular hummingbird feeder in such a brilliant, captivating way.
I almost pulled out my phone to take a photo. Then I paused … I already have so many photos of that hummingbird feeder as it is. Why take another one?
So I turned and headed back inside after hubby left for work.
It was shortly thereafter I wrote yesterday’s blog post about “Sugar water … and … cleaning spray.” Oh, that photo of the sun shining brilliantly on that hummingbird feeder would be perfect to go with that blog post. Immediately I regretted not taking the photo when I had the chance. By then the sun had moved in the sky and it was no longer in the same place. By then the hummingbird feeder was in the shade like always.
“It’s ok,” I thought to myself. “I’ll get a photo tomorrow. It’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow, and I’ll make up for the opportunity I lost. When hubby leaves for work tomorrow morning the sun will be in the same spot and I’ll get the photo then that I should have gotten when I had the chance.”
All day yesterday I regretted not taking the photo when I had the chance.
All day yesterday I looked forward to making up for it the next day.
Then I got up this morning … and it’s cloudy. Well, not completely cloudy. It’s partly cloudy to the point that the rising sun is blocked. There was no brilliant sun as hubby left for work. There was no brilliant beam of sunshine lighting up the hummingbird feeder in a striking display.
It’s supposed to be clear and sunny and 80* today. But this morning, when I was looking forward to brilliant sun striking the hummingbird feeder, it was not there.
I missed my opportunity.
Maybe I’ll get another chance tomorrow, but by then the sun will have moved slightly and it won’t be in the exact same spot. By then the level of the sugar-water in the hummingbird feeder will be different.
I might get another chance … but it won’t be the same.
This right here is what happens in life itself. God gives us beautiful opportunities. God gives us beautiful blessings! God gives us untold chances to reach out to people in love and kindness.
What are we doing with the beautiful opportunities God is giving us?
What are we doing with the beautiful blessings God is giving us?
Are we making the most of the opportunities? Are we grateful for the chances God gives us to show love and kindness to others?
Once the opportunity is gone, it’s gone. Yesterday will never come again. The photo I didn’t take yesterday I can’t go back and redo.
I might get a chance tomorrow … but it will not be the same. It will be different.
So also, that opportunity to respond to someone … that opportunity is gone. We might get a chance tomorrow, but it won’t be the same. It will be different.
That opportunity to spend time with someone … that opportunity to tell someone we love them … that opportunity to reach out and ask someone how they are doing. Are we seizing every opportunity God is giving us? Are we even noticing the opportunities? Or are we thinking: “Oh well, I missed it … I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
Tomorrow the opportunity will be gone.
“The Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’” – Hebrews 3:7-8
