As I drove through the early morning twilight, my stomach felt queasy and my nerves were all jumbled. Why did I agree to do this? I asked myself.

I was heading to a teen drug summit, an event designed to help at-risk kids be aware of the dangers of drugs and addiction. The students would be divided into classrooms where police officers, former addicts, and family members would take turns sharing with them. I would be in one of those rooms, as a parent of a child who struggled with drugs. A child who was no longer here.

I knew what I would say. Please! If you’re hurting, or depressed, or feel insecure or left out, find ways to cope! Find a sport, or a friend, or a pet, or a hobby. Using drugs to cope might take away the pain temporarily. But some people have brains that are wired to easily become addicted. You may not know if you are one of those people until it’s too late. It’s not worth the risk! 

It was on my heart to share this message. I wanted to share this message! But why – why did this event have to take place in the same church where my daughter’s memorial service had been held just a little less than a year ago? Could I handle being in the same building? What triggers would it bring to the surface?

I decided to fill up with gas and get a cold drink. I stopped at QuikTrip, where I grabbed a vitamin water and headed to the register. Standing next to me was a local pastor. I often saw him around town; he wore a clerical collar and always had a friendly smile. “How are you this morning?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m doing okay,” I answered, not really knowing how to respond to such a loaded question.

He looked at me with a smile “Opportunities galore.” 

The words didn’t hit me until I got back to my car and started driving to the church. Opportunities galore. Truly, that was the case. Opportunities were all around me. Opportunities to do something, to say something, to make a difference. This particular opportunity had arisen, thanks to the connection of a friend. What was I to do? Cower and shy away from it? Or grab it, face it, seize it?   

Those two words were exactly what I needed to hear at that moment of that day. They convicted me to use the opportunity that had been put in front of me and not waste it. I entered the church knowing God had put me there for a reason. I shared and engaged with the students, hoping and praying that it might make them think twice about decisions in their future. Of course, it brought up hard emotions of what we had been through with Lexi. But what a beautiful thing to be able to use her life to help others, in the special place where we had celebrated her.

What opportunities come your way each day? What life experiences has God given you that enable you to show His love to others in some way? How has He gifted you to make a difference? These are the things that give life meaning and purpose. Without them, what is life even for? Simple existence? What good is that? How many times will we look back and regret opportunities that we didn’t take?

To this day I am amazed at the impact of two words spoken at a convenience store early one morning. An impact I still feel to this day, five years later. A reminder that small actions can make a big difference.

“This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you.”  John 15:12