Often it’s those hard to orchestrate opportunities that we miss out on. We just think that they would be too hard to arrange, or too many things would need to be moved to make them happen.

This week I delayed on a meeting opportunity because 1. it was going to be difficult to get myself there, and 2. there were seemingly too many things to rearrange.

It’s not the first time I’ve missed out on something that seemed to be too hard for me make arrangements for … 

In my late teens there was a rock concert I wanted to go to, but lack of money and work schedule seemed insurmountable obstacles to me at the time. The money issue was over approximately $20, which now doesn’t seem to be an obstacle at all.

This week I was invited to a lunch meeting in Toronto, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away from where I live. It would be a full day for me with a good 6 hours of it spent driving.

My first thought was that if I could combine the meeting with something else, I would go. However, those other plans never materialized. So in my head I declined the meeting because I thought it was too difficult to arrange and would put too much pressure on me for the rest of the week.

In the past I have figured out ways around road blocks …

I remember taking my youth group on a plane from Edmonton to Toronto for a major youth conference. On our return flight, somehow the airline decided it would be better to have our group of 22 teenage kids with two adults all together in one spot on the plane … so they put us in first class. 

There was only one problem. My students were seated randomly, not necessarily with the friends they wanted to sit next to. 

The easiest thing would have been to say, “You’re in first class; be happy and sit down.” Instead, I listened to their requests (for some this was their second flight ever; the first being our flight to Toronto). 

I stood in the aisle and started playing a human version of that old sliding tile puzzle game. I started moving people around … “You get up; stand here. You move there. Now you trade seats with her” … and so on. 

In a matter of a couple of minutes I had our whole crew sitting where they wanted, and with who they wanted to sit with. 

Everyone was happy. 

Sometimes the obstacles that overwhelm us and cause us to miss out are simply obstacles that we have not given enough thought to working around.

Oh, and my meeting this week in Toronto? I was able to RSVP at the last minute and attend the lunch. I moved an appointment and rearranged my work week to ease the pressure. 

Often those seemingly insurmountable obstacles are not insurmountable if you make a little effort, rather than turning back at first sight.

Here’s the thing: God may have asked you to do something that seems insurmountable. The temptation is to say “no” or turn back. Or maybe the idea of Christ loving you enough to die for you is more than you can get your head around. Resist dropping the opportunity before you and ask God to help you continue. The way forward may be easier than you first thought; just put some energy towards it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What obstacle are you facing that you need to ask God for help with? Leave your comments and questions below.