Second chances. There comes a time when we all need one. After all, who’s perfect?
Lately I’ve been thinking about second chances in regards to many things—relationships, dreams, challenges. Too often we just give up. We don’t extend grace to others or to ourselves. Last week I posted about a disastrous lunch I had with a new friend. Go here to read about it.
A few years ago, I experienced another similar lunch. The only difference was that I was the awkward one.
That day, I truly wasn’t myself. When I got into my car after lunch, I wept. I realized that in my state of mind—I was deeply hurt and upset by a situation that had nothing to do with my lunch date—I was uncomfortable meeting someone new. Unfortunately to mask that, I was chatty. Too chatty. Ridiculously chatty. When the lunch was over I realized I hardly had gotten to know her. That regret still weighs my heart. I reached out with an email apology and followed that a while later with a FB message, but she never addressed the lunch or apology.
We’re still FB friends, and we occasionally interact online and see one another socially. I grieved the loss of what could have been a pleasant friendship.
The pain I felt was because grace was not extended to me. Ouch.
Grace is extending favor, good will, kindness, love—a second chance.
While the sting of rejection is still there, I've come to believe that maybe things really worked out for the best. The more I've gotten to know that lady on social media, the more I've come to realize our friendship wasn't really a fit. I see now that our personalities are much too different. She seems to see the glass as nearly half full, but I see things differently. I realize you can put more water into the glass and move forward. And so I have.
I try not to waste time and emotion on situations I can't change. I extend grace to myself, and I give myself permission to guard my heart, find friends who truly are friends, and live a blessed life.
I hope you do that , too.