Making the Most of It

I am sorry to report that I have some of the characteristics of an ambulance chaser.
Yesterday, I sat next to an associate editor of Charlotte Parent's Magazine. I was there for Asherel's award ceremony. She won "Editor's Pick" in the Charlotte Parent magazine art contest for her duct tape dog.
Last year it was sponsored by an orthodontist, and her prize was a toothbrush. This year, Binders Art Supply was the sponsor and she had high hopes for what would be in the winners' goody bags lined behind the podium.

I noticed that the lady beside me was taking lots of photos, and had a name tag telling the world she was someone of consequence.
"Do you work for the magazine?" I asked.
"I am one of the editors," she answered.
This is where my ambulance chasing mentality revealed itself. Even in the sanctity of an art award ceremony, I saw possibilities for selfish gain.
"Does your magazine publish reviews of Charlotte authors? Charlotte authors who are also parents and write about things that kids have done?"
"We do," she said suspiciously.
Oh happy day, I thought! Here right beside me was an opportunity to build my "platform"- that menacing part of publishing a book that every agent insists I must have before they will read word one.
"Well, I am an author with a book that I think is on the verge of being published. When it is, would your magazine review it?"
"We would definitely look at it," she said, and gave me the contact information as well as circulation statistics. They reach 56,000 homes! That's 56,000 new contacts to add to my platform. I settled back happily into my seat and thought about what other art contests Asherel could enter that could enhance my platform. I may be a nobody, but my daughter is a somebody and only somebodies seem to get books published. I would just hang on to her coat tails.

I know....despicable. Deplorable. Disgusting. Opportunistic.

In Acts 16, there is the story of a slave girl who told fortunes. Apparently, she had a spirit within her with the knack of predicting the future. My guess is this was not a good spirit, since later in the book, Paul casts the spirit out. The slave girl made money for her opportunistic "owners" by this prophetic spirit, and when Paul told the spirit to vamoose, the "owners" no longer had a livelihood. Understandably the "owners" were not pleased and had Paul and his cohort Silas arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. While in jail, Paul and Silas did what anyone would do under the circumstances. They sang hymns and praised God. Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake, the jail doors were flung open, the jailer who was dozing awoke. Certain his prisoners had escaped, he was about to kill himself when Paul shouted out that there was no need for such histrionics- he was still there and the jailer's social security and pension was still secure. The jailer decided that this was no ordinary man and no ordinary message, and cast his lot with the God that could bring so much joy and worship in the midst of such circumstances.

All set in motion because of an opportunistic slave owner!

There are a good number of lessons here, but the one that shouts out to me is  make the most of every opportunity! I was just being melodramatic calling myself an ambulance chaser. I really don't think what I did was disgusting, deplorable, or despicable. I just like using alliteration. I think that God opens doors all around us, and most of the time we are so focused on where we think we should be headed that we are not seeing the pathways He is continually clearing before us. The more I look for those open doors, the more I see them creaking ajar in the most unusual places.

Like winning art shows making pictures out of duct tape. If nothing else, our God is a God of surprises.

Isaiah 64:2-4

² As when fire sets twigs ablaze
   and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
   and cause the nations to quake before you!
³ For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
   you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
⁴ Since ancient times no one has heard,
   no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
   who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.