Second Chances

I love stories about second chances.

I just read the story of the prodigal son in Luke this morning. I love the story of a wayward son coming home, the love of a father who never stops searching the horizon for his child’s familiar figure. I love the celebration. I love second-chance stories because I’ve been the wayward child. I’ve been the prodigal, and I’ve also been the “bitter son who stayed.”

The past week has been a week of second chances. I watched my brother get married, a second chance after the disaster of a previous engagement with a girl I was convinced was not right for him. I watched Rick Ankiel come up from the minors and make a name for himself, this time as a right fielder with power in his bat rather than a pitcher who couldn’t control the ball. I’ve led a meeting focused on giving the magazine a second chance, a refocusing on how to reach teens in today’s culture for Christ.

I love second chances because I’ve been given many. And that’s a good thing, I think. 🙂