opportunity lost

A few weeks back, I wrote about a girl I'd met. Melissa is a military wife with a 6-year-old son. We visited each other and met at the pool a few times. I wouldn't call her a best friend, maybe an acquaintance. She was interested in friendship for the sake of someone to talk to and someone to buy her wickless candles. I was interested in friendship for the sake of someone to talk to and someone to share the Gospel with. Melissa is one of the friendliest girls I've met, but she is not a believer in Jesus. In fact, she is more of an astrological girl.

I've prayed for opportunities to share the Truth with her, but subtle opportunities have come and gone because my eyes haven't been open to recognize them. And even if the opportunities were right in front of me, I'm afraid that my fears and timidity would've let them slip away. One thing Chan writes in Crazy Love describing one way lukewarm people can look is: "lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion." Now, I don't think religion is a private issue, nor am I terribly afraid of rejection, but I am guilty of the fear of making others uncomfortable. The truth is, if people are living in sin, they should feel uncomfortable about that sin.

Feeling guilty about knowing this girl for two months and never sharing the Gospel with her, I came back to San Angelo on Monday with a renewed motivation. While driving, I made a plan; a plan is something I should've made long ago. I was going to invite Melissa and her son over to play. Undoubtedly, she'd ask how our trip back to Kansas went. And then I'd tell her about our baptism, which would surely lead into a discussion about Jesus.

We walked by Melissa's apartment this morning. And she's gone. Her husband's class is finished, and they've moved to Louisiana. I guess I knew they'd be moving; active duty people do that often. But I figured I'd get at least one more opportunity to share with her. Opportunity lost. But God will work in so many other ways, I'm sure. Perhaps I'll post the story of my dear friend Shonda, and how God changed her life, despite me.