Five Minute Friday - Chance

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

take a chance

second chance

when/if I get the chance

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Ironically, I didn't get a chance to write this post on Friday. Or perhaps I should say I didn't take advantage of the chance I did have. Or that I didn't make the time. Often when I say I'll do something 'as soon as I have a chance', what I mean is that it's not important enough to me to make sure I do it. I'll do it if I think of it or if I'm reminded about it at an opportune moment. I think I'm not alone in that.

The truth is that writing for this blog is not one of the high priority things in my world right now, and that's okay. I'm still recovering from a surgery and this past week I went back to work and I had to go to a clinic for my physical therapy. My schedule was more full than at any time in the previous two weeks, and I am still needing to put my foot up and rest more often. Some things - like this particular post - were put in the 'if I get a chance' category.

Some of the 'if I get the chance' things on my to-do list belong there. Everything will go along just fine if I don't get to them. They are things that would be good to do, but they are not essential things. Sometimes I treat tasks as if they can be done when or if I have the chance, but they are more important and require me to make the time and a plan to do them. And boy do I need wisdom and discipline to discern the difference and take action!

It might seem like things happen by chance, success or failure, whether we work and plan or not. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes noticed this too:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. 

~Ecclesiastes 9:10-11~

But the conclusion is not that it's okay to just give up and not bother planning or working! The conclusion is that we still need to honor God in all that we do and to do our best with the time and resources and opportunities he gives us. Because this is what is right and what pleases him. And ultimately, I don't want to have to explain to God how I squandered the chances he gave me.

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 

~Ephesians 5:15-16~

When we get our priorities lined up with God's will, we can seize the opportunities to do what he tells us we should. Sometimes those are things we need to work on and make them happen, and sometimes those are doors that seem to open entirely by chance, but we have prepared ourselves to walk through those doors when we can.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

~Matthew 6:33~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Chance".

This post will also be linked at Inspire Me Monday

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