An Opportunity Lost

I met up with a girl I had met about 10 years ago just this past Friday night. We had worked together and I really liked her and considered her like the younger sister I never had. Over the past 6 years we have not been in touch until Friday night. The path she has chosen for her life is anything but the one that God planned for her. We were talking and she looked at me and asked me, " do you believe people are brought into your life for a reason?". I said, "absolutely!!!". She looked at me in the eyes and asked, " why do you think God brought YOU into MY life?!!". WOW. That hit me hard and here is the reason.....about 5 years ago and event took place in my life that was weird to me at the time. I had known Richard for many years thru his daughter and my kids. I guess we have known him and his family for about 12 years. One day I went to his house to visit with his wife. She was not home at the time so Richard said just to sit at the pool with him until she got home. At the pool was this guy I had known from our old church. I had not seen him in years and was quiet surprised to see him at Richards house too. Come to find out they had known each other for years. They would go bars together, but then Mr. Z (that's what we called him) got saved and did not go to bars anymore, but Richard and Mr. Z still maintained their friendship. So the 3 of us sat there and talked...not much about anything, but just chatted. I left when Richard's wife came home and that was the end of that...or so I thought. Richard was killed in a car accident about a week later. It was not until many, many months later I realized that God had brought possibly the two people together He thought could witness to Richard. I can only speak for myself, but that opportunity was lost. It weighs on my heart still very heavy today....because I can't say where Richard is spending his eternity. So, with the question my friend Lori asked me Friday night, hit me right where it hurts (in my heart) and made me think....what am I going to do with this opportunity with her? I have started back praying for her and asking God what He would have me do for/with her. I will try to be more aware of the people brought into my life and not take situations so lightly. Missed opportunities are one of the things in life you can NEVER get back, but very possibly the greatest loss will be to the person that was brought into YOUR life.