Monday Musings – The God of Second Chances

There are so many things in our Catholic faith to be grateful for, so many reasons to give thanks to the Lord. But the one thing, the one reason I can’t stop thinking about this week, is expressed by an old phrase that has become almost cliché, yet upon closer examination, holds so much meaning: Our God is a God of second chances.
 
Before I let you in on why I’ve been thinking about this, I have a confession to make. I get mad at God a lot, for a multitude of reasons — when situations don’t work out the way I want them to, when relationships are harder than I expect, when I encounter obstacle after obstacle, when prayers are seemingly unanswered, when I’m spiritually dry, and so on.
 
Somehow the Lord has become my default scapegoat, because for some reason, I seem to need someone to blame. And then if something does go right, gratitude is not usually my first response! Instead, I often find myself thinking begrudgingly, “Ok Lord, I’ll give you another chance.” Gulp. Seriously?!
 
I suspect this happens to a lot of us. When we’re upset about something or suffering in some way, telling ourselves it’s someone else’s fault makes us feel better temporarily. And for those of us who have dedicated our lives to the Lord, surrendered everything to Him, and put all our trust in Him, it’s easy to feel abandoned, betrayed, forgotten, or left in the dark when struggles arise. So we point the finger at Him.
 
This brings me to one of my favorite quotes.
 

“He did not say: ‘You will not be assailed,
you will not be belabored, you will not be disquieted,’
but He said: ‘You will not be overcome.’”
Blessed Julian of Norwich

 
So beautiful, and yet so easy to forget. The Lord never promised us that every situation would work out the way we want, that relationships would be easy, that we wouldn’t stumble over obstacles, that He would answer prayers exactly how and when we think He ought to, or that the spiritual life would hold only wonderful consolations. But He did promise us grace. He promised us mercy. He promised us Himself.
 

The realization I am coming to (slowly, but surely!) is that instead of blaming the Lord for whatever is going on and pushing Him away, I just need to welcome Him into the situation, letting Him console me with His tenderness. And if I can simply drop my defenses, give in to grace, remind myself that it is He who takes me back, time and time again, He who gives me chance after chance, then there is nothing to stop me from running into the open arms of the Father, who is always waiting to embrace me with His gentle mercy.
 
Everything in the spiritual life hinges upon making continual acts of trust in this truly unfathomable mercy! Choosing to trust the Lord, even when we’re angry at Him, even when we’re sorrowing, even when we’re empty and broken and weary … this is what allows our souls to sigh, to breathe easy. As my niece likes to say, “Who’s got this? He’s got this!”
 
There’s a song I’ve been listening to on repeat lately, called Find You On My Knees. It’s basically a cry to the Lord from the place of weakness, a verbal re-affirmation that He is always with us, and will never abandon us, if only we seek Him in everything.
 

“When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong,
when the pain is real, when it’s hard to heal,
when my faith is shaken, and my heart is broken, and my joy is stolen,
God I know that You lift me up, you’ll never leave me thirsty.
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching,
I’ll find you on my knees.”

 
I encourage you to listen to the full song here, and this week, whatever you’re going through, whatever state of life you’re in, don’t push the Lord away! Get on your knees, invite Him into the broken places, and make an act of trust in Him — we can never trust Him enough. Accept the “second chance” He eagerly holds out to you, let His mercy find and console you in your weakness, and allow yourself to rest in His gentle embrace.