A 19th century writer, Robert Richardson, once said:
There are three things no person can ever take back:
1. The arrow as it leaves the bow;
2. The spoken word as the leaves the mouth; and
3. The opportunity as it passes by.
Craig Smee talks about making the most of our God given opportunities in life. He says:
God makes sure that you have all the gifts needed to do special things for him; but He also makes sure that the opportunities arise for you to use them… You need to be in tune with Him, so as not to miss those opportunities.
He then tells the origin of the very word "opportunity":
In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for high tide to make it into port. The process of timing this just right was called, in Latin, “ob portu”. The ship had to wait for just the right moment, or the skipper and his crew would have to wait for the tide to go completely through its cycle all over again in order to get into port.
It strikes me that both Robert and Craig are exactly right: God does indeed give us many “ob portu” moments with which to serve Him. These "high tides" of opportunity, though, are fleeting, and thus precious whenever they occur; because, once gone, they can never be reclaimed. Thus, we should make every effort to take advantage of them when they come our way.
In what way or ways has God gifted you? In what way or ways have you used that gift or gifts to serve Him? How many “ob portu” moments has He sent your way in the past? How many are before you even now? Do not miss the moment, my friend. Ride the tide!
There are three things no person can ever take back:
1. The arrow as it leaves the bow;
2. The spoken word as the leaves the mouth; and
3. The opportunity as it passes by.
Craig Smee talks about making the most of our God given opportunities in life. He says:
God makes sure that you have all the gifts needed to do special things for him; but He also makes sure that the opportunities arise for you to use them… You need to be in tune with Him, so as not to miss those opportunities.
He then tells the origin of the very word "opportunity":
In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for high tide to make it into port. The process of timing this just right was called, in Latin, “ob portu”. The ship had to wait for just the right moment, or the skipper and his crew would have to wait for the tide to go completely through its cycle all over again in order to get into port.
It strikes me that both Robert and Craig are exactly right: God does indeed give us many “ob portu” moments with which to serve Him. These "high tides" of opportunity, though, are fleeting, and thus precious whenever they occur; because, once gone, they can never be reclaimed. Thus, we should make every effort to take advantage of them when they come our way.
In what way or ways has God gifted you? In what way or ways have you used that gift or gifts to serve Him? How many “ob portu” moments has He sent your way in the past? How many are before you even now? Do not miss the moment, my friend. Ride the tide!
