I look to the mountains;

where will my help come from?

My help will come from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121, 1-2)

(Good News Translation

Opportunity in the Midst of a Problem



              This is a tale I’ve heard many times and I call it, Opportunity in the Midst of a Problem: There were some boys, I’m assuming just out of high school, traveling to Chicago from the eastern part of the United States. Late one afternoon as they were going through Goodman, the town where I grew up, their car broke down, but it was too late to get it fixed until the next day. With nowhere else to stay, the young men went up to the community college and bunked in the boys’ dormitory. That experience opened their eyes to the possibility of higher education. Before leaving this little town, two of them had decided to attend the college where they were staying.

This was just the beginning of their educational endeavors. After graduation, they both continued to universities. One eventually became a reporter for a Florida newspaper and the other one became a lawyer.

I can only imagine them groaning and grousing about their car breaking down in a little town that didn’t even have a motel. But forced to take advantage of the only accommodations available, a boys’ dormitory, their eyes were open to a different future.

            Another story I found interesting was told by a friend. Though her family had known wealth for generations, her great grandfather was forced to move his family in with his mother while he sold eggs out of her hen house for money.

            Today, because of this pandemic, metaphorically speaking, our cars are broken down, businesses are lost as are jobs, bank accounts and investments are dwindling. For many the future looks impossibly bleak. Those who lived through it might very well compare what we’re experiencing today with the great depression.

Just a Thought: A broken down car in a town too small for a motel, forced two young men to bunk in a boys’ dormitory. The result—they realized a better future was possible. You may have to “sell eggs” for a while, but maybe, just maybe, in the midst of the ruins your eyes can be opened to an opportunity for more than you ever dreamed possible.

Prayer for the Reader

Oh Lord, another problem. I’m just so angry and scared! Clear my thinking and help me to see this time through your eyes. Open my ears and help me to hear the words You have for me. Open my heart and help me to understand how You would lead me through this experience, and please don’t let me miss a wonderful opportunity that may be hidden in the midst of my problem. Thank you for loving me and for being willing to help me, an imperfect person. In Jesus Name

 



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