Than a lifetime of watching from the stands
~Ten seconds in the saddle by Chris Ledoux~
We all have regrets of things we wish that we could have done differently. Be it a former relationship or a job, there will always be things we feel we could have handled differently. Often , we ask God just why things worked out the way they did. While our Lord indeed has the final say in how circumstances play out, some things happen simply because we failed to act. However, for some it is simply fear of the unknown that holds us back from taking a chance at a opprtunity. Of this I have at times been accused as well. I'm not alone, for fear can be a powerful adversary. Almost like a brick wall that one cannot penetrate, our fears can often be debilitating to our lives. We've all heard the stories of those whose overwhelming fears have kept them from realizing their opportunities. God may present us with opportunities in our lives, but what are we doing with them? Well, one thing that I've learned is that God will open doors of opportunity in our lives, but it is the lies of the deceiver that will fill our hearts with fear. We are not the only ones who fall victim to these lies. For Moses was in fear of going unto Pharoh to lead Isreal out of Egypt. Jonah was in fear of going to Ninevah speak the words of the Lord. And what shall we say of the disciple Peter, who once he stepped foot on the water to walk to his Lord, began to fear and drown! No, we're not alone at all.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8: 31-32 NKJV
Fear is something we all go through, but it can also be defined by how we handle it. Growing up, we often admired those men and women who showed little or no fear. My dad was one of those men. To his youngest son, my father was fearless. He had served in the Navy and worked as a Deputy Sheriff, it often seemed like nothing could shake the strength he tried so hard to exhibit to the outside world. However, few saw the inner demons of alchohol and pornography that my father kept hidden. Eventually, these demons would get the best of him. What was my father afraid of? Well, I never really had the chance to discuss that with him, but I'm betting that he feared not being seen as a man in the eyes of others. That was a big thing to men of my fathers generation. What opportunities did my dad regret not pursuing? I'll never know the answer to that question. Did he regret not being a part of the lives of his two boys? I'm sure he did. If so, it was his own fear and pride that prevented him from doing so. Whatever fears that we have, we can be assured of one thing. Opportunities will always come from the Lord, but our own fears will prevent us from acting on them.
There was a man who one day was caught in a sudden flood
Scrambling to the roof of his house he awaited his rescue
As the waters rose, the man prayed, "Lord save me!"
Soon, along came a man in a raft who offered him a life jacket
"No thanks," said the man, "God will save me"
Next a man in a boat came along and offered to take the man with him
"No thanks," said the man, "God will save me"
Not long after this, a helicopter arrived to rescue the man
The man waved it off, "God will save me!"
Eventually the waters rose and the man died
Upon getting to heaven, the man inquired of God just why He didn't answer his cries
To the man the Lord said, "I sent a life jacket, a boat AND a helicopter, what else did you want?"
Yet another opportunity missed
~Scott~
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