Do Overs and Second Chances

Quite honestly, most people are quick to "write someone off." But our God is a God of the second chance. Learn from One who is patient with you, and you'll learn to be patient with others. Woodrow Kroll

Several weeks ago I went to the drive-thru pharmacy to pick up a prescription.  I hate going to the pharmacy.  It seems like every time I go something is messed up with my prescription.  Then there are those times when I get a text message that my prescription is ready and after waiting in line for 30 minutes I get to the window and they tell me that the prescription is not ready and won’t be for another hour.  Oh, and then there are the times you drive up to the window and they say “What prescription, we don’t have any record of you calling in a prescription.” 

Well, I had a new one occur several weeks ago.  Our pharmacy has two drive-up lanes.  On that day I chose lane number 2.  This is the outside lane with no window.  It just has a pole that the box slides down like at the bank. So I pull up and wait for the cashier to acknowledge my presence and then wait for my prescription to come out.  Did I mention that the box on this lane that delivers your prescription is kind of “rickety”?  You know it kind of wobbles as the box makes its way down the pole.  I guess I didn’t mention that the door to the box has a tendency to pop open rather abruptly.  So as I watch the box wobble down the pole and it gets even with my window, the door flies open and my prescription flies out.  As I watched my prescription fly out it hit the side of my car and landed on the ground next to my car.  Would it have been too much to ask for it to throw it through the open window?  I guess that would have been a hole in one, but that is a whole other story. 

So I try to open my door to get the prescription off the ground.  The problem with this is they built this concrete ledge to hold the pole and my door isn’t high enough to clear it.  I tried lying down across the seat head first to see if I could reach it.  No can do.  Did I also mention there were two lanes of cars behind me watching me?  So I finally had to pull up until I got past the ledge, jump out of the car run get my prescription,( I guess I was lucky I didn’t run over the prescription in the process), and then back up so I could pay for it.  At least the car behind me was paying attention and didn’t pull into the spot while I was frantically running around like an idiot. 

It was about this time that I wanted a do over.  I wanted to rewind this whole thing and start over.  At the time I also wanted to step over to the wobbly box and rip it off the pole.  But then that would be material for another devotional about anger management. 

We all have those moments when we want a do over.  You know the ones I am talking about.  Those are the days where we speak harshly to another person and say things we wished we hadn’t.  Or the ones where we do something we regret and don’t get a do over.  God doesn’t give us do overs but he does give us second chances.  He gives us the opportunity to redeem ourselves when we are at our worst.  When we are busy beating ourselves up over something we’ve done, (we are sinners after all), God gives us a way back to Him.  God is the master of second chances and He is waiting to hear from you.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am a sinner.  Thank You for giving me a second chance at everlasting life through Your son Jesus Christ.  I am forever thankful for your mercy on me and for reminding me that I am a sinner in need of a Savior and a second chance.  I praise You.  

      

Scripture: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:7-12