Busy day at work, Ryan’s last baseball game of the season, out of groceries at home, gas tank on “E.” Lord, help me to do all that needs to be done today… my prayer as I raced into the office… late. During my half-hour lunch break I quickly drove to the nearby gas station and put $10 into the tank… no time for a fill up. Made good time there. Yeah! On to the grocery store – no time for shopping after work, there’s a baseball game to catch. Hurry… hurry, I told myself as I ran into the store grabbing a cart without slowing down. If you’d seen me, you would have thought I’d won some sort of wacky contest. The rules? Grab a shopping cart. You have 5 minutes to put as much into it as you can and if you checkout within the time limit you get to keep the contents. And she’s off… no time for the produce aisle (takes too long to pick a good tomato or rip avocado). Just enough time for the necessities, milk, lunch stuff, toilet paper. I beat the clock! Yeah – a quick little victory dance as I stepped out of the grocery store! On the home stretch now… I ran to the car, opened the trunk, leaned into it to stash the groceries and… OH NO… RYAN’S BASEBALL GLOVE! He’s pitching today and needs that blasted glove to warm up before the game. Have to leave work even earlier now. Good grief.

Busy Day Part II… it’s 4:00 p.m. Left work, with the groceries I’d placed in the office refrigerator. Just enough time to get to the school and deliver the glove. Back in the car, back on the road… hurry, hurry (again). As I sat at a stoplight I looked to my left and saw an elderly woman. She was pushing a cart of her own, not one with groceries – her cart was filled with personal belongings. Her clothes were tattered and her steps were slow. In the few seconds that I sat at the light watching her, my heart was moved for her. I felt an overwhelming need to do something to make her day a little brighter. I wanted very much to get out of the car, to walk over and speak with her and to give her a small gift. But when the light turned green I had to choose. Go to the school and get Ryan’s glove to him on time OR stop and show kindness to this woman. Although it saddened me, although I knew it was wrong – there just wasn’t time. I drove past her and went onto the school.

I felt rotten inside. “God,” I said, “Was that an angel that you placed along my path to test me, to see if I would do the right thing? If so, I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I failed miserably. I wanted so much to help her – but didn’t. Please, Lord, would you give me a second chance? If you would allow our paths to cross again I promise I won’t let you down.”

I’m reading a book by Joel Osteen called, “Your Best Life Now.” Wish I had read the chapter “Showing God’s Kindness and Mercy” before this happened. Here’s what Joel has to say: 

We’re all so busy. We have our own priorities and important plans and agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don’t want to be inconvenienced. But the Scripture says, “If any one sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of compassion, how can the love of God be in Him?” (1 Thessalonians 5:15) Interesting, isn’t it? God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the question is whether it is open or closed. How can you tell? Easy. Are you concerned about other people, or are you concerned about only yourself? Do you take time to make a difference, to encourage others, to lift their spirits? Or are you too busy with your own plans? If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s needs.

Ouch – that smarts! And, Joel is right. I know it because of the way I felt when I didn’t do what pleases God. But, and here’s the good news, our God is THE GOD OF SECOND CHANCES. He heard my prayer and responded. Here’s what happened on my way home from work the very next day…

I came to the same stoplight I was at the day before. As I sat there, I heard someone screaming and saw a little boy on a bicycle being chased by a dog. The dog was nipping at the wheel of his bike and the boy was terrified. He dropped the bike right in the middle of the road and ran as fast as he could away from the dog. I got out of my car and the dog ran behind a house. I picked up the bicycle and the boy came over. I said, “Are you alright?” He said, “I’m ok. That was a mean dog. He scared me!” I told him I’d stand there until he was safely on his way. He thanked me and continue on down the street. The light turned green and as I headed home I remembered my prayer from the previous day. “Please, Lord, give me a second chance.” And He did, but this time His angel wasn’t dressed as an elderly woman pushing a cart, he came as a little boy on a bicycle. 

Thank you God for second chances and for opening this closed heart. Amen.