A couple of mornings ago I was finishing my morning workout when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye just outside the window of our kitchen and living room. At first glance it appeared to be a big black shaggy dog ambling along within just a few feet of our house. Instantly, and to my shock, I realized that it wasn’t a dog at all, it was a bear. The bear walked within feet of our back French door where I was standing and down a path that led into our woods and disappeared. The funny thing is that just days earlier my daughter and I were talking about all the creatures that try to eat the things we grow in our garden, and she remarked, “At least there aren’t any bears around here.”

 

As I have reflected on that episode, I have thought about how that bear represents Kingdom opportunity.   

 

Kingdom opportunity often comes unexpectedly. I never dreamed a bear might walk by my back door. There aren’t supposed to be any bears within 100 miles of where I live. Occasionally, I hear of a random bear seen around the CSRA, but I never expected that one might walk by my back door. Kingdom opportunity can be like that. We begin a day not knowing what we might encounter. Suddenly, a phone call, text or a “chance” meeting creates an opportunity for Kingdom work.   

 

We often miss opportunity because we don’t recognize it as it presents itself. When I saw something big and black, my first thought was that I was looking at a dog. Looking back over the previous couple of days, I realized that I had seen several signs including “big” dog tracks and droppings of that bear around my property that I figured were left by a big dog. We often miss Kingdom opportunities the same way. What does Kingdom opportunity look like? It often looks like a need in the life of another that we could meet in the name of Jesus. It could be the right words for someone who needs to hear them. Opportunity is access to someone that allows us to invite them to church or a gospel focused event. It could be an event, mission or ministry that you could join in. Opportunity often looks like resources, gifts or abilities that we have, and which are unused that could be deployed in Kingdom work. 

 

Kingdom opportunity often presents itself only once. I could sit by my back door for 100 years and never have another bear walk by. Because of the nature of time, opportunity is the same way. We can’t roll the clock back on opportunity. When it presents itself, we need to embrace it and take advantage of it, realizing that it quickly passes. 

 

When Kingdom opportunity presents itself, we need to act quickly and decisively. Upon seeing the bear, I grabbed my phone and took a picture of that bear through my window and snuck out and followed it a good distance through the woods. I wanted to see where it was going. It was headed straight for my neighbor’s blueberry patch. So it is with Kingdom opportunity. When it comes, act decisively and follow it until you see where it takes you. Many times, we will be amazed.