Second Chances

I’ve met some people over the years who are very tight-fisted about their money or their possessions or their willingness to give somebody a second chance. One mistake, one blunder, even accidental, and no second chance. Apologies don’t matter. Restitution is out of the question. One mistake and it’s over. No second chance. I have to admit that I’m a big fan of second chances, especially since I’ve had to ask for a few. You?

I think of this today for two reasons. Jesus, the author of our faith, didn’t hesitate to give people a second chance if they were contrite. “Go and sin no more,” he used to say. Learn from your mistake; don’t do it again. A second chance. The other reason is part of the lyrics of a song sung by a wonderful folk-ballad singer, Gregory Alan Isakov. In the song titled “Second Chances”, Isakov sings: “if it weren’t for second chances we’d all be alone.” Probably true. Second chances have not only taught lessons, but also given the benefit of the doubt and encouraged new and better efforts.

Friendships, marriages, business deals…second chances. Have you ever been given the gift of a second chance? Maybe that makes it easier to bestow a second chance on someone who has made a mistake affecting you. Maybe today you’ll have a chance to bless someone with a second chance. What would the world be like without them? “If it weren’t for second chances, we’d all be alone.” Charity and mercy are markers of our faith. Those who walk the way of Jesus know the value of a second chance.