Have you ever done anything dumb? I mean REALLY stupid. You may not know it, but I might just hold the title of King of Stupid stunts. Of course, they all seemed like a good idea at the time! Kind of like the famous last words of a Redneck simpleton…. “Watch ‘is!”
I almost pulled one of those the other day. The ice storm a month back wreaked havoc on my trees & I needed to fell one or (a wiser choice) to pay someone to do the task. A friend suggested I use my climbing tree stand & go up fairly high, tie a rope off & have someone put tension on it as I notched & cut the top off. All worked well until I was about 25 feet up…on a very windy day! My prayer life increased incrementally as I swayed freely with the wind. I notched, yelled to my make-shift crew to put tension & pull the rope, & began cutting. As the tree began to fall, for a split second I thought it would ‘kick-back’ & eat my lunch. Thankfully, it fell as planned & I didn’t do the cartoon spring back like Wiley Coyote.
All went well, as I’m typing this with all ten fingers & no broken bones & one less tree! There have been some really crazy times in life that all didn’t go quite as planned. I hesitate to mention many lest you think I’m imploring literary license & fiction, or that you will be afraid to stand near me in the event it IS true. Had 9 car wrecks (learned to dodge better now!), Got cracked in head with a brick, shot with a .22, skewered with a rusty wire, impaled several times in feet & arm with nails during construction, spider bitten, hit in the eye with a nail, hit in the mouth with a table leg,… the list goes on, I’m just tired of typing!!
These were all, pretty much, accidents or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There have been many times that I just flat did stupid things (jumping off a 80+ foot cliff into water would be one).I’ve often done something that hurt others or grieved the heart of God. I’m just thankful that God is a God of second chances.
Ever since, at the beginning, man first sinned in the Garden we have to deal with this sin nature; this bent to do & say dumb things. It not only hurts us but those around us. This evil virus of sin permeates even the best of us & leads to a wealth of hurt and death.
Today I had to reinstall security protection to my computer. Some of you, like me, may have known the damage caused by a Trojan and/or virus or worm. I had a computer once attacked & taken down to the partition or base. It was no more. No second chance there, irreparable damage. Again, even though we sin, rarely is our life beyond repair. God is all about restoring & reclaiming lives. I’ve seen thousands. I’m truly thankful that God has given me countless ‘re-do’s’ & the opportunity to learn from the mistakes in order to avoid the pitfalls!
This past couple of weeks I got to be a part of two great revival services where around 50 people experienced, for the first time, God’s love, forgiveness and second chance. I also saw scores of people find a new lease & second chance for broken hearts.
Life is about choice. God gives us the choice to recovery; we must choose to accept it. There is a verse that speaks of this second chance:“God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, No matter how desperate the trouble. But cozy islands of escape He wipes right off the map. No one gets away from God. Why waste time conniving against God? He's putting an end to all such scheming. For troublemakers, no second chances. Like a pile of dry brush, Soaked in oil, they'll go up in flames.”
Nahum 1:7 The Message
I’ve been blessed with countless second chances (and third, fourth, etc)! I’m thankful God restores. I don’t know where you are in your journey, but if you’re in need of another chance cry out to the Father. Don’t connive & complain about your lot, just cry out! If you’re on solid ground then, by all means, reach & encourage others. There’s plenty of us that need reminding about a chance to start anew.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
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