Missed Opportunities: If Only I’d Known!

Have you ever thought about the consequences of delayed obedience? I don’t mean physical punishments, but rather missed opportunities. Blessings that could have been yours if only you’d gone for it and done what you knew you should do when you knew you should do it.

There are a few things my daughter absolutely hates. First, cleaning her room. Initiating that war requires great fortitude on my part, not to mention more than my share of God’s strength and patience. She also hates bugs and dogs and any non-human creature that dares to enter her space. Last but not least, she hates showers.

On this particular morning she needed a shower. Desperately.

After almost five hours of me prodding and her promising “soon but not now,” I grew tired of wooing her into obedience. Time was up. I dragged her toward the bathroom and announced the consequences: we couldn’t have lunch at the mall.

She knew, since I had told her first thing that morning, that we needed to go to the mall for something. What she didn’t know was that I had planned to have lunch there. It may seem minor to you and me, but to my seven-year-old, this was a big deal. A really big deal. We don’t do it often, and she loves it.

Upon hearing the results of her delayed obedience, tears began to flow. Begging started while I turned on the water and pulled out a fresh towel. “Honey, you chose to wait this long. Sometimes our choices make us lose things we didn’t know we could have.”

Her answer was so telling: “But now that I know, I really want it!”

What might you be missing unawares?

Isn’t that the way we are? We arrogantly make our choices without acknowledging our limited vision. God created the plan and He sees what we could have if we just follow His instructions. When we delay obedience, we may be forfeiting things we really want, wonderful things He has set aside to surprise us. But we may never know.

What is it that you should be doing this week?

• Finishing another chapter
• Writing that synopsis
• Submitting those queries
• Completing your press kit

Now imagine what you could be forfeiting simply because you’re not doing it. What blessings might God have planned for you?

He plans great things for those who trust in Him. Trust and obey. Then you’ll have no reason to cry out “If only I’d known!”