Just give me one more shot!
Remember when you were a kid and you played baseball and you struck out? Ever ask for a ‘do-over’ on that last pitch where you swung and missed? I know I did.
How about in grade school when you were taking a test and you really studied poorly or all the wrong things and you bombed it. Did you ever hope the teacher allowed you to come in after school and do make-up work or extra credit to try and raise your grade? Yep, that happened a few times.
Maybe in that first serious romantic relationship where you were really green you said something to your buddies, just joking around and you hurt her feelings, maybe even made her cry. Did you hope she gave you a second chance? Did she accept your apology? Or had you damaged the relationship so badly that it was never quite the same again? I wish I had a dollar for every time I messed up like that.
We all screw up. We all feel badly about our actions or lack thereof. We all hope and wish for another shot at fixing things; doing them right. Sometimes in our relationships we are forgiven and sometimes we’re not. Sometimes the damage is done and things are irreparable. There’s always that uncertainty that we might not be able to begin again or even go on, except in the case of our heavenly father.
In Hebrew Lamentations literally meanant “Alas!” It was truly a cry for help in a time of sadness or regret. Jeremiah, who’s credited with writing it, was a prophet who had witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and its invasion by the Babylonians. He saw firsthand the pain, suffering and destruction wrought upon the city. And still, in the midst of what must have been devastating sadness, he finds hope. He finds a new beginning at the start of each day. He knows that we are not defeated. Lamentations 3: 23 says, “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
If you’ve ever felt banged down by the world or beaten up by the daily grind, you’ve known at least a modicum of what it must have been like to be in Jeremiah’s Jerusalem. But just as it was back then, you can take comfort and courage and hopefulness that we are not alone. The difficulty and wreckage of yesterday is taken away overnight and we are given the gift of a new beginning with the dawn of a new day. Our God is faithful and steadfast. He never leaves us and he makes everything new again every day.
Knowing we get another chance with each day feels pretty good. If you want to read more at my blog, click here. It will take you the homepage and you can read more about life both of the religiousy and non-religiousy varieties. I offer a free subscription to my blog if you want to sign up. Subscribing means you’ll get an email on Saturdays with links to the most current posts, no more no less. I never sell or share emails. Subscribe at the home page or by clicking this.