God’s Second Chances

I am relearning this lesson: I am not in control. There is a God in Heaven who is in control of the universe and all of His-story, and I am not Him. So, my husband has been home from work all week with the flu or something similar. That has thrown off routines and plans. I have taken time to nurse him this week as I feel like I should, but that has come with the trade off of less time for myself, less time for planning, and some cut corners on the meals. In a world that is broken, I can’t always exercise and eat “right.” Sickness happens. Tiredness comes. One of my work colleagues told me years ago, we will all have a cause of death on our death certificate one day. None of our earthly bodies will survive forever, something will beat us. For some people, it will be illness. For others, it will be a freak accident. Even old age comes with worn out body systems that just stop working – perhaps an immune system, a heart, or a brain. There is nothing we can do to prevent our deaths. But, there is much we can do to truly live. The Bible tells us that it is Jesus who gives us life. My life in Jesus includes taking care of my body, but it also includes worshiping Him and loving others well.  I will never be perfect and can only attempt to balance my circumstances with human frailty. I call it “playing the hand I have been dealt.” The scale, my clothing size, my diet and exercise records are not my master. God is. He has a plan for my life that is unwinding as time moves on. I can trust His goodness and wisdom to give me strength to do His work wherever He places me. And, I can trust in His mercies that are new every morning. With God’s grace, tomorrow will be a new day and a second chance to try again.