Obeying the command, he produced from the log of common firewood a masterpiece.
In like manner many people wait for great and brilliant opportunities for doing the good things, the beautiful things, of which they dream, while through all the plain, common days, the very opportunities they require for such deeds lie close to them, in the simplest and most familiar passing events, and in the homeliest circumstances.

They wait to find sandal-wood out of which to carve Madonnas, while far more lovely Madonnas than they dream of, are hidden in the common logs of oak they burn in their open fire-place, or spurn with their feet in the wood-yard.
Opportunities come to all.

The days of every life are full of them.
But the trouble with too many of us is that we do not make anything out of them while we have them.

Then next moment they are gone.

One man goes through life sighing for opportunities.