Second Chance

My online friend Bill (who posts at Cycleguy's Spin) asked me to write a post for his site on "a second chance God has given you". My first thought was to quickly dismiss this request because my life hasn't turned out the way that I would have liked in many respects. My biggest failure and regret occurred nearly ten years ago when my wife told me that she no longer wanted anything to do with me. One moment I was living a pretty contented existence, and the next, I was alone. Everything spun away from me so suddenly, that it sucked the life and the joy out of me. Not only did I lose my partner and my best friend, I felt like the divorce robbed me of my future. When Bill asked me to write a post glorifying God for giving me a second chance, I scoffed. My scorn was not directed toward Bill, but more toward God. Here I am some ten years after my life was torn apart, and I find myself alone. While time has a way of weathering the hard edges off strong emotions and negative memories, I still find myself deeply wounded, still stewing in bitterness, anger, and despair. Where is my second chance God? Where?

But I continued to chew on what Bill asked me. I am one who all too easily focuses on the negative when I have many positives still around me. In many ways I am plagued by myopia and forgetfulness regarding God's blessings in my life. In 1997 before I was a Christ follower, I was diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer. My initial biopsy results indicated that it had spread into my lymph system. My prognosis for survival beyond a few years wasn't good. The day after I found out about my cancer, I learned that I was going to be a dad. There was a chance that I might not even get to meet my little one.

Second chance? How about the fact that I am still alive some 17 years after I was sentenced to be another mortality statistic? How about the fact that I have a 16 year old daughter who thinks that I am the greatest dad in the world? How about the fact that I have come to know Jesus? Second chance indeed.

(Note: Today's post was used as a guest post on Cycleguy's Spin today. This is the third guest post that I have written for other bloggers. As always, I hope that my words can help others, whether it be with a smile, with a tear, or with an amen.)