And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. — John 9:1
There have been several occasions in my life where I have had the opportunity to go and hear someone speak or attend an event. Sometimes those events are listed as “see them while you can” or “see them before its too late.” I’ve heard many people talk about aging singers this way as they went to concerts to hear them before they retired.
Many times I hear people share after the events that it was the event of a lifetime. They often share that they never know if they will be able to go to those events again. What is even more surprising is that people are willing to spend countless dollars and a near endless amount of time for those “once in a lifetime” events.
Here in John 9, I see the example of the blind man who had an event in his life where Jesus passed by. Jesus specifically saw the man and changed his life forever. It was a once in a lifetime event. The man could have easily told Jesus no. He could have refused to go to the spot he was in. There’s so many things about his experience that could be different. He took advantage of that “once in a lifetime” type of event and received his sight.
Across our world today, God is still creating these types of opportunities. God is still working in our world and granting opportunities for people to change their lives or do something for Him. Yet, so many times we may not take advantage of those opportunities. The reasons can be various. What’s important to remember is that once those opportunities are gone, they are often gone forever.
We will spend countless hours to see that special concert or meet that special person. Then, we will often overlook an opportunity to serve the God who has the entire world in His hands. We must live our lives for God with more passion and purpose or else we will miss an opportunity that may never come back again.