A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 111). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
That is true of all of us, isn’t it?
Charles says, “Being imperfect and fallible human beings, we regularly fail and sometimes fall flat on our faces. Not once, not twice, but repeatedly, we feel the need to start over. We have trouble getting it right the first time. We want to do it right. We would love to do it right from the get-go and from then on, but we would have to be superhuman to do that. Part of being human is needing second chances. It goes all the way back to our childhoods.”
He goes on, “From our earliest years, we learned by failing. Remember learning to hold a glass of milk without spilling it? My father used to say, ‘It will be a great day of success when this family can have one meal without one glass of milk being spilled.’
“We learned by cleaning it up, being forgiven, and being given a second chance. We stumbled and fell as we learned how to walk. The same was true when riding a bike. We started out wobbly, using training wheels. Eventually, we were able to ride without training wheels . . . but then we ran the bike into a curb. We stayed at it day after day until eventually, it all came together. After days of trial and error, we were finally balancing and riding.
“Other second chances were more serious in nature. We told a lie and suffered the consequences when we were found out. But we learned the hard way that the truth is always the better tack to take.
“Without being given a second chance, we would never improve or master new skills. No marriage would endure without husbands and wives giving each other second chances. Almost everything we’ve learned has been accomplished by making mistakes.”
He later says, “The same is true for callings and careers. You learn to lead by being given a second chance. You become a good physician that way, or a good dentist or a good attorney—and, for sure, a patient parent. Over time, you learn to become a caring and loving mother or father. You learn by trying, failing, and trying again. But all along life’s journey, you need those individuals who are willing to offer you the grace of a second chance.”
And that is so true, isn’t it? We also need to be one who is willing to offer the grace of the second chance, don’t we? And God wants to do the same for you. Will you ask Him?
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