Silver Linings and Second Chances

I took a few days to go for a small get away.  On the way I listened to music on my radio switching between stations enjoying the drive and the listening.  In amongst all the tunes, I heard these words in a song “live and learn - till we crash and burn - until it is our turn again” It’s true I think, life is a series of living and learning new things, loving them, being taken in, the inevitable enlightenment, the too much of it all and then the taking it all for granted, the loss of it and then the all too often being hurt by it.  Life, it is an often common event of crashing, burning, getting picked up, learning something new and yes, doing it all again. True. Hopefully through it all we can see the good in it, see the positive and carry on living and learning.

A few weeks before, I had been to a movie and the main character says “You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.” It’s true I think, life is hard work, it is an up and down series of events that requires a determination to carry on, to see the good in all that comes to us in this trip called life.  Staying positive allows us the opportunity of finding that elusive silver lining, that thing that gives us a reason to pick up and carry on to work harder.  True.  Hopefully through all of our struggles on this earth we will find a silver lining…we will find hope.

A couple of Sundays ago Rob preached on taking the next step;  do not dare to stay where you are, "take the next step…wherever you are in your spiritual journey, take the next step."  True I think, Life is a series of steps, taking the right ones, taking the next one, keeping on and then keeping on.  What sense does it make to stay in the same place?  No, wherever you are take the next step and then do it again. True. Hopefully through all this moving we will land at the right time in the right place.

Last week through our look into the life and trials of Jonah we came across an amazing few words that give encouragement to our purpose in this life, that there is this reason to hang on, to hope, to keep on working hard, to be on alert to learn new things, to be aware of new possibilities…of silver linings in new places.

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying arise, go to Nineveh”

Jonah 3:1-2

Herein lies the fact, God gives second chances, He comes again with His mercy, with His grace; He comes a second time to you and to me.  He comes a second time to give us the amazing encouragement that we are worth it, we are worth His grace, His mercy, His hope, His calling us to try again, to get up and do it again, to carry on, to take the next step.  True.  Thank God for silver linings, for next steps and thank God for second chances.

The Lord comes a second time…and then, He will come again and again and again…

I love that.