Missed Opportunity

Galatians 6:9-10

I’m only going to relate this story to you so that you don’t do what I did.

I went to Subway today for lunch. (That wasn’t the mistake.) First, let it be known that I NEVER go to Subway to eat. I’ve been at this office for over two years and I split my time between several fast food places and bringing my lunch. Never in 2 years have I been in the mood for a Subway sandwich. Today, I’m in the mood for Subway, inexplicably. I’ve decided that I’m going to have to settle for Lion’s Choice because it is the only fast food place on the way to Powder Valley Nature Center, where I occasionally walk at lunch.

I’m getting ready to pull into the Lion’s Choice lot and I see, for the first time ever, a Subway staring at me from 100 yards away. It’s in a little strip center and either it is new or I’ve just never noticed it. I park.

Walking in, I don’t know what to get, so I order the exact same sandwich as the tall bald guy ahead of me. He looks trustworthy. (I know, I’m such a follower.) We get shuffled up to the cash register end of the counter. The kid tells him it’s $3.76 or some such price and he hands the kid his debit card.

“We only take cash and checks,” the kid says.

“Oh, no. Well…hold the sandwich. Is there a cash machine around?”

Here’s the painful part. I hem and haw. I have plenty of cash on me to buy this guy’s lunch and God has clearly put me in the place to buy this guy’s lunch and I BLEW IT!! The whole time I’m thinking, “I should be saving money. Buying this guy’s lunch isn’t saving money.” Instead, I should have been doing high hurdles to the counter in an effort to pay. It’s all God’s money, not mine. Jesus Christ clearly wanted this guy’s lunch paid for today by one of his really dense followers, and I blew the opportunity to make his love known.

I walked out, dejected, begging God’s forgiveness. Then I had a memory, kind of like what Peter may have had when he looked back on his denials. When I walked into work this morning, I was late and hungry. There had been an accident on the road and I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I walked into the break room for coffee and Dennis, a co-worker, pointed to the counter and said, “My wife and I got some free blueberry muffins from a restaurant last night. There’s one there. Take it.”

Now, in my imagination, God was speaking to me. “I fed you breakfast and you couldn’t even take care of that guy’s lunch? I take care of you. Help me to take care of others.”

Ouch.