OPPORTUNITY COMES BUT ONCE?

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them” - William Arthur Ward

Some people have had different life-changing opportunities at some point in their lives. But being able to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible is important. Sometimes just one opportunity can mean the difference between an extraordinary life and a mediocre one. Unfortunately, opportunities don’t last forever. But the good news is that you can take steps to make sure you don’t miss out on something truly life-changing.

Some years ago an energetic young man began as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old - time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars' worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers. The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents. The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital. The young man's boss was not enthusiastic. "The plan will never work," he said,
"because you can't find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime." The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F.W. Woolworth. Years later his old boss lamented, "As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!"

Taking advantage of opportunities in life starts with simply saying yes to them when they come around; give this a thought, watch out for opportunities each time you go out and meet people. You never can tell where your blessings lie. Opportunities are, by definition, short-lived. You need to be quick in order to get the most out of them. For example, I’ve known many men who hesitated to talk to women they were attracted to. They waited for the right time to make their move. However, as they were waiting for the right time, someone else would get there. Opportunities are not always exclusive to you. Others might be tempted to move in on them if they see them. If you hesitate, you may lose out.

As you pray, thank the Lord for your salvation and ask Him to give you wisdom to seize, and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.