When opportunity knocks, take time to stop and smell the hay.

     I love to find life lessons in everyday things, and as we have fed our cows this winter I have noticed something that got me thinking about life and how often we might miss an opportunity because we are looking for something bigger and better. 

     We pull out into the field with the hay on the trailer and slowly throw off flakes of hay.  We have cows who realize lunch is served and they go to a pile and start eating right away. We have some that take a bite off one pile turn up their nose and move to the next pile, turn up their nose and move again until they run out of piles. Then they stand there looking at us like come on is that all ya got. Meanwhile their friends are filling up on delicious hay. Then there's the ones who don't bother even looking down to see what we are feeding them. They trot along behind the trailer wasting energy and missing lunch. 

       I often laugh at the cows who don't just eat what they are fed because as we leave the field they stand there looking so dumbfounded that we would dare leave without feeding them. Not even noticing that there is a whole smorgasbord layed out in the field. 

    The other day I started thinking how often do I do that? An opportunity comes along and instead of jumping in and getting the benefit of it, I keep looking for that better deal. When I realize that maybe I had a good deal it's gone. Some other cow took it. Even worse are the times that you keep running after that empty trailer in hopes that something great will magically appear. Wasting time and energy both, when the one thing you really needed was right there before you. All you had to do was look down. 

      We all have opportunities put before us everyday. Opportunities to do good, to help someone, to help ourselves, opportunities to make some part of our lives better or easier. Small opportunities that might not be noticible to everyone but make a difference to THAT one. Opportunities that may not change our whole lives but will change a part of our day. 

       We can help, teach, change, or improve things everyday. We may not be feeding our physical bodies like the cows but we are feeding our souls and the souls of those around us. So slow down look around and be aware of the opportunities around you. 

       When opportunity knocks take time to smell the hay!!!!!