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WHEN A 'GOOD' OPPORTUNITY COMES BY, JUST MAKE SURE IT FITS THE PURPOSE, BLUEPRINT GOD DESIGNED FOR YOU

Do you grab everything that comes your way? Do you go for each development that seems like an opportunity? Do you pluck every piece of "ripe" fruit?

Be careful.

Remember the fruit in the Garden.

"By their fruits you will known them," we are told by the Lord.

When something comes your way that looks enticing, you may be better served by studying the tree first. For by the tree you will also know them.

Jesus said this: that when it comes by discerning the fruits, we should know that a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit nor can we get one kind of fruit -- say, figs -- by a different type of tree -- say a thorn bush, or brambles. Like produces like. The lesson: look at the source of what is offered to you. Look at the nature of the tree. Take a closer study of the fruit itself.

If we try to reach into the wrong tree for what seems opportune -- that seems like a fig -- sometimes we grab thorns instead.

Make sure it's a blessing (as opposed to a diversion, even a deception).

A preacher brought this out the other day, adding that when there is a good opportunity, it may get in the way of -- and divert us from -- a great opportunity. In other words, we may be so quick to take anything "good" that we obscure what God really has in mind. The result: a terrific opportunity passes us by (or rather: we pass it by). Also, make sure the fruit it ripe!

"Opportunities are all around you but if you don't know how to see, sift, sense, or seize them, then you're not going to know what to do with your life," said the preacher.

"You're going to miss on God's plan for you."

The first step in overcoming and managing opportunities is getting rid of things that may seem important but are not -- clearing the clutter (of non-essentials). Just because you can do something, he noted, doesn't mean you should; just because you can afford something, doesn't mean you should buy it.

When something is offered to you, you may want to ask: who is offering it? What are they like? What have been the results of other things they have offered, and on others who have partaken of their gifts? What are all of the possible consequences?

Some trees possess both life and darkness.

They bear fruit but are partially dead.

If a tree produces both good and evil, which one will be in store for you down the road? Will light and darkness spring forth (in  a way that's not predictable)?

Your mansion is your mission. Your talents grow when used for God. When your gifts enlarge, you're fulfilling your purpose. If your work allows you to love fully, it is part of His Plan. Look for hints in the setbacks and victories of your life. Meditate on those. Pick fruit accordingly.

Or just plain remember (when something comes out of the blue): yes, it may be a good opportunity, but that doesn't mean you should jump for it. Always pray first. Don't dive in until you have asked the Lord what's beneath the surface. Build only what you have been given the tools to build. Your "giftings" reveal your call.

In life, many "opportunities" arrive; we have to pick the right ones. When we do, we excel. When we realize a blessing, we find fulfillment. It fits our skills, our likes, even our passions. When it is a "great" opportunity, it goes to our purpose. It somehow leads to fulfillment of our callings in life.

This doesn't mean we should push a good opportunity off. This doesn't mean we should procrastinate. It doesn't mean we should turn a cynical eye on what seems good. No. We don't want to lose a good, even great, thing. Step boldly. "Be not afraid." Nor do we want to seem like we're ungrateful (especially to God; playing "hard to get"). We just want to make sure we have registered solid prayer beforehand.

Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit in the Name of Jesus.

Very rarely does that fail to bring a result in some fashion.

Say that until it has "pierced the clouds."

Prayer is like that: often when we send it up the enemy tries to stifle it but when we persist in knocking at the door, it softens the barriers between earth and Heaven. Eventually our prayers penetrate. The door is opened. It's like a real cloud: when punctured, light streams forth.

Toss out what you don't really need.

Don't hoard.

It can blind you.

It can bury you.

We can even hoard "opportunities."

But neither miss the real thing. Just remember the devil too offers fruit. Test everything and keep only what is good. If you add something to your life, make sure there's room for it -- that it fits your calling, your mission, your purpose, your energy, the blueprint of your life, instead of obscuring it.

Mary Undoer of Knots plus The Holy Cloak novena, $7.25

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