The time is NOW
The 2010 softball season is over, and what a season it was.
All season long the team has used the word “NOW” meaning “No Opportunity Wasted,” as its slogan. And game after game, night after night, and day after day they took every opportunity and put together a 41-3 season.
They took advantage of each error made by the opposing teams throughout the season and post season, and used those opportunities to score runs in bunches. And then, outscoring their opponents 19-0 at the state tournament on the way to a second consecutive state championship was nothing but icing on the cake.
So NOW what?
The season is over. But I feel if we really want to take a lesson from this outstanding group of softball players, then we need to conveniently borrow their slogan and apply it to daily life.
Like the 2009 slogan “As One” demonstrated what can be done through teamwork and working together on projects, “No Opportunity Wasted” also has deeper meaning than just in softball.
Think of our typical day. It contains 24 hours (or 86,400 seconds). How do we put those 24 hours to use?
What do we do with the opportunities that are given to us daily?
How many hours, minutes and seconds do we waste?
Take for example: When a committee is forming in our church, school or organization do we jump at the opportunity to serve, or leave the job to someone else?
You know that many good opportunities are wasted when nobody does what anybody could do, just because they thought somebody was going to do it.
If a “neighbor” is in financial need do we sit on our wealth, or help out? Are you going somewhere with an empty car — why not ask a friend to go along? When the opportunity comes along to prepare a large meal, do we look for others that could join us?
People need people and strangers can become friends. Every opportunity can turn into something successful if we just go into things with a positive attitude.
Do we look for opportunities to give thanks and praise? Not only to those we love, but to those who we know will not return the thanks and compliments. Or do we just use the opportunities that we are given in life only to complain, criticize and nag?
Negativism wastes the joy that we are given. Life is not always going to be a bed of roses, as thorns and thistles are interspersed along the way. But how do we handle bad situations in life? During these times, we are given new opportunities that we may never have had to experience. Once again, they are our opportunities to use wisely or to waste.
“No Opportunity Wasted.” What does that slogan really mean?
Maybe it is to try our best in everything that we do. Maybe it means staying true to ourselves, others and ultimately God (or whatever higher power one believes in). Or maybe, it is looking at our priorities in life and doing some re-arranging.
Sadly, as I look back over the years of my life, I know that there were many times that I have let opportunities be wasted. I know that there have been times that I have not always had the right priorities in life, and I also know that there have been times that I have not done my best. Oh, I have always tried to be helpful and to live a good life, but in 2006, God used an 11-week period in my life to show me how those wasted moments could be turned into something better.
People have real joy when they put Jesus and others ahead of themselves (Jesus-Others-You). People have success when they use the opportunities that they have been given for the good and positive things in life. People have happiness when they look for and expect the opportunities to come, and are prepared when they do arrive.
“No Opportunity Wasted.”
Growing up in typing class, students can remember typing the phrase,” Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.” And paraphrasing a verse from the Bible, “There is a time and a season for everything under heaven.”
Our time is NOW!
The opportunities are here, and more are waiting in the wings or just around the corner.
It remains up to us to decide what we will do with them.
Chuck