Five Minute Friday: a chance for us to develop our writing skills and meet at Gypsy Mama’s blog. The rules?
- write for 5 minutes and don’t edit.
- link your post to her blog.
- stop and write an encouraging note to the person ahead of you.

photo: © Matthew Benoit | Dreamstime.com
GO
Opportunities…
They come in bursts
Almost always while I am busy or preoccupied.
My child quietly comes into the room
with a look on her face that tells me her heart is broken…
or something has happened that day that has crushed her spirit.
Or my words have crushed her soul and the hurt is pooling up in her eyes.
I tell myself that my own pursuits are much more important right now.
I don’t have time to spend with her, comforting this over-sensitive child.
She needs to toughen up so the world doesn’t crush her.
But that still small voice of the Spirit quietly whispers,
“This is an opportunity that will soon be lost.”
“You won’t have many opportunities like this to show your love.
To show her the love of Christ.”
This time I stop…
Not like some of the other times.
This time I listen to her heart.
This time I try not to preach, but to love her.
I was learning. And each time I learned a little more…
When I accepted the opportunity I was given.
GOD opened her heart a little more
to the gospel that changed her life!
STOP
“…Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck
and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
(full context)

thanks for stopping by cara:) we enjoyed your visit:)
How true, Martha! Think being in the kids ministry really taught me to learn to stop & listen cos sometimes, these moments are just so precious that can give the love that the kid needs @ that point in time / opened-hearts to finally receive love from us
I have felt the same convictions lately (not put quite as beautifully as you) – that I need to stop whatever seems so pressing at the moment to pay attention to my child. I especially feel this lately when I find myself saying, “just one second honey…” asking them to wait once in a while is good – sometimes I say it a little too often. What message am I sending?
Thank you
obviously, there are appropriate times that the child needs to wait, but when you notice that it seems too often, you are probably right! having children taught taught this very task-oriented person that the important thing about life is the relationships, not the tasks accomplished!
Oh, my! This post made me cry. I am so guilty of those opportunities I deliberately miss because I am too consumed with my own wants and agenda. It breaks my heart to think that my daughter may have been hurt in the aftermath. Thank you for this! I will remember your words when opportunities present themselves. Especially when my daughter is concerned.
i raised 3 daughters, but i lived much more in guilt then. i didn’t want this to be a downer. if you are “in Christ”, you have repentance and forgiveness available. it is no mistake that my blog has this title. His grace is abundant! He forgives lavishly and does it without reproach! No lectures, no penance. He just forgives freely! 🙂 It goes completely against our natural bent, but it is GOD’s way. Don’t you love it?