Opportunity is Knocking

I was watching Evan Almighty last night and a couple of the scenes in the movie got me thinking about Jesus’ words in Matthew 25. In the movie Evan is a newly elected Congressman who moves his family to a big new house near Washington. The first night there, Evan’s wife prays that their family will grow closer together while they are in Washington rather than fall further apart and Evan prays for guidance from God. Evan is called by God to build an ark and is told that there will be a flood. Supplies start showing up and Evan begins building the ark.

Evan’s wife begins to question him about what’s going on and when he explains that he has talked to God and that He has asked Evan to build an ark Evan’s wife is shocked. Believing him to be crazy she takes their children and leaves. While sitting in a small diner she calls the waiter over and asks for more food. Unbeknownst to her she is talking to God. While talking she makes a comment about the work her husband is doing and God asks her ‘If people pray for patience, does God grant them a zap of patience or does God provide them with an opportunity to show patience? When people pray that their family will grow closer, does God surround them with a warm fuzzy feeling or does he provide them with an opportunity where they can be strengthened and bonded closely together?

This hits Joan as she recognizes that he mentioned exactly what she had prayed, but it also hit me. We sometimes ask for opportunities to help people and don’t see when they are presented to us. Jesus says that to the extent that we choose to either help or not help our fellow man, we choose to either help or not help him. Keep your eyes steady and when the doors open walk through them.