As I write these thoughts, I'm in a plane at 31,000 feet en route to a business meeting. This flight especially has given me time for serious reflection. As the pilot attempted to land our plane earlier for this connecting flight, we almost landed on another plane already on the runway. A torrent of emotions rushed over me as our plane climbed steeply out of harm's way. My first thought was that such a moment of peril could not separate me from the love of God. I trusted God's sovereign care in our perilous circumstances.

For the remainder of the flight, I've thought of things that I've planned to do and somehow never found the time to do them. I've remembered invitations from lifelong friends and thought about how nice it would be finally to accept their invitations for visits. I've considered mission projects at church, but decided that others had more time to do them than I did. I've even postponed retirement when I could write full-time because I assumed that there would always be time to do that later.

Ephesians 5:16 – Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. (NLT)

Our aborted landing made me realize that we cannot always count on there being time tomorrow. No, the peril that I encountered did not separate me from the love of God. Instead, it heightened my awareness of the opportunities that God has given me, and the time for me to do them is now.

Prayer: God, please help us to focus our attention on the urgency of our opportunities each day. Amen.