Missed-Opportunity

I am saddened and frustrated with my recent actions. I could have used a bad situation and turned it good, but I didn’t. I could have been a witness, but I wasn’t. And I can’t go back. But I can take from it, and I will.

Sitting in church this past Sunday, I was reminded of something that happened this summer. One evening I was driving home from Vacation Bible School. I had Ella in the car with me. I was beyond exhausted from a long, hot day with 2 busy children, then spent almost 3 hours with 20 extremely active & excited 4 year olds at church. I pulled on the curb at our regular grocery store and got a diet coke from the drink machine, as I do too often. I realize when I open the car door that our VBS music is blaring. I have on my church’s VBS tee shirt.

I notice a man sitting on the bench beside the drink machines. It was right around 8pm, starting to get dark. Clearly he was intoxicated. I smelled him immediately. He was filthy … looked like it had been weeks since he had showered.

All I wanted was my diet coke. I was hot and exhausted. At first I wondered if I should even get out of the car. I admit I was a little nervous and slightly scared, mainly because I had Ella with me. I tried not to make eye contact. I quickly got my drink and got back in the car and locked the doors.

As things often do, it hit me just slightly too late. I was so disappointed in myself. What a perfect opportunity to help someone, and what did I do … nothing. I could have easily bought an extra drink and handed to him. I wonder now when someone last did something nice for this man. What bothers me most about this situation, though, was that I was wearing my church’s logo.

I will think about this missed-opportunity for a long time and hopefully next time I will do something to make a difference.

"Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,

and wine to those in bitter distress;

let them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more."

Proverbs 31:6-7