Holidays = "Opportunities for Growth"

I think most of you know that I used to work in Financial Aid. It was a stretch for me because I hate math. And math hates me right back. Were it not for the grace of God and the invention of math software, I never would have survived.

Much of what we did was driven by government regulation, and as you might imagine, those rules changed quite regularly. When our supervisor would call a meeting to inform us of change (and the subsequent steps we'd have to take to undo/redo/unlearn/relearn something) she always called it "an opportunity."

I loved that about her because I appreciated her positive spin on life, even when there truly wasn't anything positive to be found, but you can well imagine how I grew to detest the word "opportunity."

STOP GIVING ME OPPORTUNITIES!!!! I'M OPPORTUNITIED OUT!!!!!!

I might be out of Financial Aid, but I've learned that opportunities exist everywhere. Saturday I had the opportunity to extend warm hospitality and grace to a service guy who came to install something at the house. Instead, I stormed into the yard (in a very unbecoming fashion, I assure you) to aggressively rake leaves into bags while Ryan stayed behind in the house offering a second cup of coffee in Jesus' name and genuinely investing in the service guy.

It was with many tears and much self-disappointment later that  I tried to spill to Ryan (in coherent thoughts) just why the guy had annoyed me so much and how I wished I could have so easily had my fiance's giving, compassionate heart. In turn, Ryan gently wiped away my tears and explained how much the guy had really done to help us.

Opportunity failure, party of one, right here.

You might not work in Financial Aid and you might not be out punishing your yard (in such a way that leaves you with aching muscles the next day) but perhaps you have a great opportunity coming up this week.

Thanksgiving.

I always loved what Mark Lowry said about family: "You know what I'm talking about. You'll cry at their funeral but you don't want to go on vacation with them."

It's true! Family. We need them and yet for so many, nothing creates an "opportunity for growth" like an afternoon together around a turkey table.

Chuck Lynch joined us on Mid-Morning today to talk about how to relate to your adult children during the holidays. I sat at the engineering board furiously scribbling notes, and this was one of my favorite quotes: "God never gives us grace for other people's responsibility. He only gives grace, power and courage for our own responsibility."

Do you have one of those opportunity people in your family? The one that drives you to hide in the bathroom and taste the salt of hot tears while everyone else is oblivious to the pain? The one that drives you to make rather drastic "alternate plans" so you don't even have to attend the festivities?  Live in the freedom that you're not responsible for her. You're only responsible for you.

And I loved this too - straight from Scripture: "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Romans 12:18

And perhaps...dare I say it? Be thankful for the person that gives you the growth opportunity. I'm not sure that today I can say I'm THANKFUL for the one in my life that God is currently convicting me. but I can say I'm thankful for the way the conflict is driving me into the arms of my Beloved.