Webster tells us that an opportunity is a “favorable juncture of circumstances.”  One occurs when the elements needed for progress come together at the same time.

The great English playwright and poet William Shakespeare described strategic moments that must be grabbed:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune.

Omitted, all the voyages of their life

Are bound in shallows and in miseries.

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.

Set Sail at High Tide

In the ancient world, ships would enter a harbor at high tide and receive cargo.  Once loaded, a heavy vessel couldn’t depart until the next high tide.  If the captain failed to set sail during the high tide, he would miss the chance to leave port.  Similarly, when the tide is high, you must board the ship and begin the voyage.  The tide won’t wait—and neither will strategic opportunities.  When the circumstances for success merge you must act.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Solomon wrote those words in Ecclesiastes 3:1,   What we need is the wisdom to know what activity is appropriate for a specific season of our life. And then we need the motivation to seize the opportunity. Procrastination is our enemy. Solomon noted that procrastinators tell themselves, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” (Pr.6:10).   Because they believe a “little” delay will do no harm, they give away opportunities in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, and eventually a lifetime.

You now face opportunities that may vanish

An opportunity to play with a young child, listen to a teenager or support their athletic, artistic, or academic endeavors. A chance to listen to your spouse, daily grow in your relationship with God and help others grow.

Here’s the opportunity I’m seizing

I spent the bulk of 2023 compiling The One, a fresh blended gospel. In 2024 I’m going to seize the opportunity to read through it monthly and launch and develop groups of men who will also read it and meet with me for an hour every-other week on Zoom, or in person, to share what we’ve learned. When a group grows to five members, I’ll leave to start a new group and the first man to join me will lead the group and repeat the process.

It’s a New Year and if you’d like to seize this opportunity, send me an email at bill@billperkins.com