Challenged To The Core - Kathi Brixey

When I was a child I loved the expression “do over.” Do you remember that? Perhaps it would be better to ask have you ever heard that phrase? If not let me tell you that it means, when used in the context of a game or child play, “I want to try again.” We weren’t always skilled at most games we played as children so to be able to try again now that we understood the concept was a great advantage in trying to win or improve our score. I remember when our children were learning to play Uno or Jenga and things didn’t quite go their way they would say “do over” and smile very convincingly so we would let them try it another time. Don’t you wish that were true in all of life? Unfortunately few things in life can be addressed with the “do over” concept. When you think about it, it really wouldn’t be fair in most cases either. “Sorry I shared your secret.” Or perhaps “Yes I should have gotten here on time, but...” How many of us would want a “do over” in these situations? Are you waiting for the proverbial “but” to be said? Not going to happen. We don’t get “do over’s” in real life. Most often there is no opportunity to retract what’s been said or done. That’s why God says in Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” We need to always think before we say or do anything. The best way to react in the proper way is to be ready for whatever the Lord brings into our life on any given day! Boy that is a mouthful isn’t it? Well what does that look like in the everyday? How do we find those New Beginning’s that God speaks about in Psalm 118:24-25, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it, O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.”

The first thing is to be grateful for another opportunity to learn from our mistakes. When we find ourselves at the crossroads of a “do over” and are faced with the chance to make it right we need to stop and evaluate the situation, pray for direction and put action to God’s answer. Learning to be aware is another key to knowing when we’re heading down the wrong path. Try asking God to open your eyes to in-appropriate behavior. He will point those areas out to you so you can begin to work on them. I know it sounds silly to do this, but making a list of problems or events and then making a plan on how to react to them is a great way to be prepared when things happen. Just like the Boy Scout motto, “Always Be Prepared,” we should be prepared so that we are not caught off guard.

When we do stumble, and we will because we are human, learning to embrace each day will serve us well. God is in control and nothing happens that He doesn’t already know about, the key is to realize this and give Him the steering wheel to our life. Each day holds the potential to be a new beginning, an opportunity to start fresh and make it right. This is the best kind of “do over” there is. So I guess my statement earlier isn’t completely true there are “do over’s” in the context of our Christian walk. We have a loving Father who extends grace and mercy every day, for some of us every hour, regardless of where we fall, embrace and give thanks for each new day. None of us really know what tomorrow holds for us, let’s learn together to make each day count for Christ.

This week as you travel each day check your pulse to see where you stand in being prepared and enjoying every moment the Lord has given you. You may even start noticing the birds singing, or how green the trees are. Yeah I know it sounds a little hokey but it’s true. I pray that you will see each day as an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and experience new beginnings.