Opportunity of a lifetime!

Having a "D" moments with my twin bro, Justin, today. We were talking about a cool pastor who we listen to and read. The pastor is well known and has a great demand to speak around the world. Well, this guy talked about how he has had "OPPORTUNITIES of A LIFETIME" offered to him to speak in certain places. This got me thinking: what are "opportunities of a lifetime?" From now on, "opportunities of a lifetime" will be called "OOLT" in this blog...

First thing: What is opportunity?

Ob Portu

www.bible.org (Bits & Pieces, March 2, 1995, pp. 16-17) explains it this way:

In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for the flood tide before it could make it to port. The term for this situation in Latin was ob portu, that is, a ship standing over off a port, waiting for the moment when it could ride the turn of the tide to harbor.

The English word opportunity is derived from this original meaning. The captain and the crew were ready and waiting for that one moment for they knew that if they missed it, they would have to wait for another tide to come in.

It would be like a SURFER waiting for the perfect wave. It would be like an Olympic sprinter waiting for the gold medal race...opportunities of a lifetime, right!

What would be your "OOLT"?

I can think of some:

• Meeting the president of the U.S.A.
• Meeting David Hasselhoff!
• Watching the U.S. Open tennis championship in person
  
• Watching the gold medal 100m, 200m, 400m dash in person
• Being the one who wins the above races!
• Winning a free vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios
• Being asked to play a main speaking role in your favorite movie
• Having the opportunity publish a book
• Cooking Thanksgiving dinner with Paula Dean :)...right moma?
  
• I'm sure you can think of many more....

Want to know what God is teaching me about "my" "OOLT"?

Praise GOD, I have an "OOLT" each day I wake up and each day I come home. My wife and children are my opportunities of a lifetime. My mom, dad, twin, older bro/family are "OOLT's"! The chance to love them like Jesus is an "OOLT". The chance to get to do it tomorrow...another "OOLT"! Seriously, most of the time when we think of "OOLT's", we think of something BIG and something we may only get ONE shot at. But listen, what could be bigger than loving your family more tomorrow than you did today? What could be bigger than discipling the ones God has given you? What could be bigger than shaping someone's life? I can't think of anything bigger than my daughter's smile...I can't think of anything more beautiful than my wife's face.

With God's help
With the help of God and the affection of Jesus Christ, I want to make the most of my opportunities to love my family like Christ loves the Church. I am married to someone too good for me; I have a daughter who is a taste of Heaven; I have a son on the way who is the promise of God; I have a mom and a dad who demonstrate the generosity of the Trinity; I have a twin bro who sharpens me like iron; I have an older bro/sis-in-law/a nephew and niece who make me feel like a rock-star! To love them is an OPPORTUNITY of a LIFETIME! You want to talk about ONE SHOT at something? How 'bout this...I will never again have August 15th, 2008. I hope I made the most of my opportunity to love and pray for my family today...it was the OPPORTUNITY of a LIFETIME! Thank you Jesus! Amen!

Ways to make the most of your "opportunities" with family:

1. Pray for them
2. Make conversation with them
3. Listen to them
4. Sit with them
5. Read Scripture with them