I’m very excited to again this week join a talented group of women who connect each Friday in an online, unedited (so excuse all errors) flash mob free-write based on a one-word prompt from our fearless leader Kate Motaung. My timer is set for 5 minutes; let’s see where the word “opportunity” takes me.

If you were to go to a site like brainyquote.com or Pinterest and do even a very quick search using the keyword “opportunity”, you would be inundated with quotes — some glib, others quite profound — on the topic of what Webster calls “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something”. 

Perhaps my favorite quote about opportunity is this one by Albert Einstein: 

If I said that I have been able to recognize this when I’ve been in the midst of a trial, that would be a lie. When in the midst of a trial, I’m not thinking, “Yes, this is a difficult time for me, but really, there are lots of opportunities here.”

No, I’m thinking, “What!? God, get me out of this!!”

But the proverb about hindsight being 20/20 is so true in this case.

As I look back on the difficulties I’ve faced, the tragedies that I have weathered, I can now see that with each one of them came opportunity.

One example in particular stands out to me. In the Spring of 2006, a huge storm — tornado strength and devastating — entered my life.

Long story short, that storm presented me with a valuable opportunity. And so much of the positive things that happened in the aftermath of my husband’s death three years later would never have been possible had it not been for that storm.

It cleared away debris from my life. It created a new path both in my spiritual life and in my vocational life.

Now, when difficulties seem unavoidable, I remind myself to remain remember Who is in charge and to focus on the opportunities the difficulty will no doubt bring.

It’s not always easy, of course, and

Time’s up! Please join in the conversation by sharing your own thoughts or experiences via a comment. What difficulty have you endured that brought you opportunity? Could you see that at the time of the trial?