This post is a little lengthy, but very important to read.
Recently, I lost a good friend and former co-worker named T. Evans. He was 22 years old when he died. I had worked with this young man for about 4 years. He was involved in an automobile accident while driving intoxicated, lost control over the vehicle, flipped the car a couple of times and was pinned in the car for 90 minutes before he died. The manner of his death is not as important as I realized that his death was an opportunity that will be forever missed by me.
I’ve worked with this young man since he was 18 years old. Although it is known at my workplace that I am a Christian, I don’t ever recall sharing with him the Good News about Jesus and salvation. I left that job for about a year and came back. When I came back, he was no longer working there, but I would occasionally see him at the bar. (I work in a family restaurant that has a liquor serving bar). The first time I saw him, I gave him a hug and caught up with what he was currently doing and found out that he was not the same young man that I knew. He was no longer in college and he seemed to have lost weight. I wanted to talk with him more then, but I had tables to wait on. The last time I saw him was about 4 days before he died. Again, he was at the bar and I was picking up a beverage for one of my customers. While I waited for my customer’s drink, I gave him another hug like I wanted to say more, but again, left to go wait on my tables. Four days later when I went back to work there, (I have a couple of jobs) co-workers informed me that he was dead. I could not believe my ears! Everything I wanted to say the last two times that I saw him, I will never be able to say to him. Opportunity missed.
If it seems like I am beating myself up, I’m not. I was a little angry at myself that God placed this person in my path at least twice before his death and I did not seize the opportunity. It was not enough that this young man knew that I was a Christian. I needed to open my mouth and if nothing else just say “God loves you,
T—-”
In spite of the fact that I keep telling myself that I am going to leave this particular workplace because sometimes it can get on my last nerves, I have not left. Don’t get me wrong, I have other options as far as skills; I have two college degrees. I am not there because I have no choice, I am there because it is my choice because of the flexibility in scheduling and that flexibility is what my life needs at present. Please don’t think I am bragging about my credentials, because to God be the glory. I just say that to say for whatever reason, God has me in that place for his purposes. My agenda of wanting to leave has nothing to do with His purposes and until I understand that concept, I don’t think I will be leaving that place until God is done with me there.
After T. Evans’ death, I determined that I was going to stop allowing opportunities to go by like that because you never know if you will get another chance. It used to be said, “Here today, gone tomorrow”. The saying is now “Here today, gone today”
James 4:14 (Kings James Version)
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Don’t let those opportunities to say a word or two for Christ slip by. It may be your last chance.
I think that not until we start to make that effort to grow in Christ ourselves, do we begin to appreciate understand the importance of making the most of our opportunities to witness to others.
“To have the right priorities a man’s focus must not be on the head, but on the heart;
not on himself, but on God;
not on time, but on eternity.”
– Roy Lessin
L. Poitier says:
I truly agree with you, Chris. As long as I have been a Christian, I sometimes feel that I should have gotten to that level of maturity by that time. I guess that’s why I don’t want to waste any more time playing around. But to feel guilty about it would be giving place to the devil because he is the only one that makes you feel guilty about things. I tell myself that the race is not won to the swift but to those that finish. Thank you very much for your encouraging words.
Faith, Love and Serenity Always
Moving post,
I had a similar experience about 20 years ago. A older couple moved in next door. I came home from work and had been working at a sewage plant installing a communications system. After pulling in the driveway I stepped out of my work truck looked across the lawn at the neighbors house and saw the old man in the driveway working on his lawn mower. The Spirit prompted me to go over and talk to him about the Lord, but I made the excuse that I was all dirty and I would do it later. I went in the house, showered, ate dinner and sat down in my easy chair. About an our later there was a knock on my door. It was a fellow I knew from church. I was surprised to see him, but gladly welcomed him into my house. He didn’t come in he said he was a volunteer fireman and had just finished a call at my next door neighbor’s house. He just thought I might want to know that the old man just died from a heart attack.
Wow! Thanks for sharing your story with me. I am sorry that it took me so long to respond; I’ve been a little “out of touch” lately. I think experiences such as yours and the one that I had are urgings from the Holy Spirit. Have you ever heard those little voices that tell you to move left or right when you are driving and you go the opposite direction and Bam! There’s goes a major traffic jam or some other obstacle or even a near-miss accident. I truly believe for those of us who are Christians, those are little tests to see if we are going to listen to the Holy Spirit and actually be led by it. I don’t know about you, but I fail at least one every day.
I’m working on it, though.
Faith, Love and Serenity Always