Exodus 3:1-6
It was mid-afternoon during a typical week when I answered my office phone to hear several seconds of silence before my wife blurted, “Daddy’s dead!” Suddenly, the day was no longer ordinary. I shoved work priorities aside and replaced them with life priorities: my wife and family, our grief, the need for comfort. Questions and needed answers could wait.
Opportunities can be as unexpected as tragedies. For every carefully calculated move we plan, other spur-of-the-moment decisions can send us on new, unexpected trajectories. God’s call comes in different ways. Amos is herding when God instructs him to prophesy. Isaiah sees a vision and responds, “Here am I, send me.” Samuel hears a voice in the dark that calls him by name. The call of Moses begins with his own curiosity: what’s happening to that bush? A typical day turns into an extraordinary moment as he investigates a burning plant and encounters God.
We try to anticipate tragedies. We create emergency kits to be ready for storms or power outages. We make wills or prepare living wills and advanced directives so our wishes about possessions, children, and healthcare can be carried out.
Can we be similarly prepared for opportunities? We should be observant. Education, training, and experience help us respond to whatever we encounter. Prayer and Scripture keep us attuned to God. Developing friendships is important for forming a support network. These equip us to make choices that are both moral and wise. Moses was willing to let an ordinary day become remarkable. Are we?
Consider
Consider a recent decision that you had to make quickly. Were you satisfied with the results? How could you be better prepared for your own burning bush experience?
Pray
Lord, I praise you today for life-changing opportunities. Give me eyes to see them and the wisdom to make the best choices. Amen.