When an Opportunity is a Blessing

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
-- Proverbs 10:22

How do you know if an opportunity is a blessing or not?

Fresh out from college, Sherwin Boston worked as a draftsman in one of the establishments somewhere in downtown Colon, Cebu City earning a meager P3000 per month, quite low for someone with a degree in BS in Architecture. Needless to say, he struggled to make both ends meet even when he was still single.

One day, opportunity knocked on his door when a friend tipped him that there was someone looking for a draftsman. Ever the person who always dream of a better life, he went and investigated. It turned out that the opening was for employment abroad, in Dubai. Since the starting salary, P30,000, was ten times his current salary, he tried his luck and applied for the position; to him the job opening was a new glimmer of hope for a brighter future.

To make a long story short, he passed the interview. However, there was a hitch -- he had to shell out for the airfare from Cebu to Thailand which would cost him P15,000, while the employer would shoulder the airfare from Thailand to Dubai. This was on top of the visa processing fee, and other fees he needed to shoulder as well. For someone who earned peanuts, the obstacle was tough indeed. But instead of going to the loan sharks, he negotiated with the employer by e-mail, asking them to pay for everything! It was a long shot indeed, but deep in his heart Sherwin believed that if this opportunity was a blessing from God, He would remove all the obstacles along the way just as the Holy Scripture says.

After a week no reply came. Then the second week came to pass and still no words from the employer. When the third week was about to end, he started to worry and became impatient. Regret, and doubt started to make their way into his heart, but he remained steadfast, and faithful. On the fourth week, he received a call. It was the employer, and they told him that they would shoulder all the expenses, including the airfare!
 
When God gives a blessing, He adds no trouble to it. So when a real opportunity knocks on your door with obstacles attached to it, it could mean that God wants to test your faith. If you remain faithful and patient like Sherwin, God will remove the obstacles one after the other, in perfect sequence and perfect timing, right before your very eyes. Otherwise, the opportunity may not be a blessing afterall; it could be one of those detour in life that one must avoid.

Now Sherwin is still in Dubai designing villas and residences, restaurants, and interiors; happy and contented with his life. His current income? P120,000-140,000 per month. Not bad for a blessing...

PS: Thank you to Gerson Boston for sharing this testimony. Sherwin is his younger brother.