Sometimes in life you are given just “one chance”. That one chance to make the right decision that could affect your life for many years to come; that one chance to remember the very moment that changed your life or someone else’s life. When you were younger, maybe that “one chance” was to score a touchdown at your last high school football game, or maybe it was asking the new girl to the homecoming dance. Have you ever been given that “one chance”? Did you make the right decision?
When you become an adult those one chances can be life changing. The decisions that you make – sometimes in a split-second – can be good and exciting or devastating and heartbreaking, both physically and emotionally. I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about! You’ve had to make decisions that affected your personal life, family life, and even your work environment. I’ve had to make these one-chance decisions as well; some turned out great, some not so good, and some were really painful.
Now if you think I am going to share something really personal and secretive about myself – I am! It’s not an earth-shattering revelation, and it probably won’t be life changing to you, but it was to me. I was given a one-chance moment and I blew it. It happened four years ago and I am still dwelling on it. God gave me a precious one chance to touch a life and in my hurriedness I skipped right over it.
In 2012 I was given the wonderful opportunity to visit Feed the Hunger’s children’s programs in Bangladesh. I had spent several days traveling to various orphan homes and schools giving out food and Bibles. I had a wonderful time meeting hundreds of children and sharing Christ’s love with them.
On one very cool day I visited a school that was meeting in a church building Feed the Hunger had built the previous year. As you enter the building, it is customary to take off your shoes. I removed my shoes and found the floor to be smooth concrete, damp and cold. I had on socks, so my feet were just slightly cool. Over thirty small children were lined up against the wall waiting to greet me. Each of the children had their shoes off, and the majority of them did not have socks. There was one 
little girl that looked slightly older than the other children. Her hair was shiny black, and even though slightly messy, she wore a small hair clip to keep it out of her eyes. She had on a pale pink outfit with a light pink wrap to keep her warm.
What was it about her that stood out to me? Why did God draw my eyes to hers? What was He telling me to do? God gave me one chance with her and I missed it. What that one chance was I honestly do not know. Was I to speak to her? She didn’t understand English and I didn’t understand Bengali. Was I to gently touch her shoulder or hold her hand? I don’t know, but I think I missed it! All I did at that moment was take her picture. That seems really dumb. “God, did I miss that one chance You gave me with her?”
I will never know if I missed that one chance. Did it change her life? Is she still thinking about me like I am thinking about her? Probably not. I suspect that her life has simply continued. She may remember that a foreigner from another land came to her school one cold day and brought her a Bible and food. So why am I still thinking about her and writing about her in this blog?
The secret I keep deep inside is this girl’s face forever etched in my mind. I have traveled the world and have seen many young girls’ faces, but this girl is forever mine. She is the one chance that God allowed me to photograph as a reminder of His special one-chance moments. It was not a time for me to take action and reach out to touch her. But it was a moment for God to show Himself to me through her. I will never forget her face. And I will never forget the one chance that I thought I missed, but turned out to be a one chance I got right.
Thank you Father for allowing me to see You in her.
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
– Words by C. Herbert Woolston
Melinda Staples | Project Manager