I’ve been grappling with a concept that I’m reading about.  Have you ever heard of “opportunity stewardship”?  It’s new to me, but the meaning is something I feel God injected into my system some time ago.

I get the term stewardship.  I understand the idea of being responsible about with the money I have and the things I own…that’s essentially about discipline.  However, being a steward of opportunities is an enormous concept depending on your understanding of life.

Consider the objectives you had for today…

• Did you need to clean something?
• Did you need to complete something?
• Did you need to get something?
• Did you need to show up for something?

When I put an appointment in my calendar, the program asks me if it’s a repeating event.  This is interesting because I think many of us have “repeating” objectives that transcend cleaning, completing, and showing up.  Many of our repeating objectives look like this…

• Get what I deserve.
• Prove my point.
• Be skeptical.

The “repeat” is where most of us begin.  It transcends sleepiness…it starts when our eyes open each morning.  The “repeat” is what greatly affects the relationship involved in the opportunity.  I’m not forgetting or nullifying the value of experience and wisdom in the midst of opportunity, but being a good steward of any opportunity begins before the opportunity presents itself.

Here’s my thought that seems to be peaking through most of the conversations I’m having with folks:  What opportunity do you have right now and what are you doing with it?  Seizing the moment seems riveting and energizing during the concept phase, but when the page turns and people get involved…well, are you going to keep seizing?

I feel as if God has a hold of my hand right now and he’s leading me just fast enough to make me uncomfortable and completely dependant upon Him.  If I let go, I trip in the midst of our momentum.  Parents – you understand this.  You’re in a hurry and you have hold of the hand of one of your children.  You’re taking “grown-up” steps at a “grown-up” pace while your little one fervently tries to keep pace without landing on their face.  That’s where I am right now...and this is where I always want to be.

Occasionally, someone will disagree with me.  They think I should let go…go at a different pace.  I can see their point because it’s human nature to stay in our zones of comfort.  We want to manage every sense we have.  We want to be able to justify all of our actions.  I can’t do that, but many times I want to.  I can’t let go even though I’m scared at times.  I can’t let go even though some decide to go a different direction.

I have opportunities every single day...to talk...to listen...to give...to teach...to learn...to retreat...to jump.

I want to be a good steward of the opportunity God puts in front of me.  This means I have to go where God is going and I have to go at His pace.

It boils down to this: I would much rather keep my hand in His hand than in my pockets.