The Road To Second Chances Never Closes

​WHEN DOES THE ROAD TO SECOND CHANCES OFFICIALLY CLOSE?

I am a fan of Tiger Woods, even if I haven't always been a fan of Tiger's choices.

I wonder how many people could say that of me? I am a fan of Keith, even if I haven't always been a fan of Keith's choices?

I wonder how many could say that of you?

I have watched Tiger Woods grow up. Literally. In 1978, when he was 2 years old, Tiger was on the Mike Douglas television show hitting a golf ball with Bob Hope looking on. Many of us watched Tiger grow from that moment into arguably the greatest golfer ever. (An argument I'm not here to argue).

We also watched Tiger fail. Make many mistakes. Reveal his frail humanity.

I was caught off guard this weekend when news broke of what appears to be another frailty. Tiger was involved in an automobile crash and charged with DUI. Few facts about the circumstances have been released; I say that while suggesting that everything written on social media is not facts.

I was caught off guard because Tiger seemed to be beyond some of the demons in his life. More than once lately I've listened to Tiger talk and thought, he's really turned into a solid and thoughtful human being. Wise.

But then this....

As always in these high profile circumstances, social media has been divided into two camps. Compassion and humiliation. Prayers for recovery and memes poking fun. A rush to understand and a rush to judge.

It is interesting to read how many people suggest that Tiger has run out of second chances. It made me wonder - can we really run out of second chances?

Is there a day when that road closes?

I suppose that is why I am such a follower - a giant needer - of the Jesus story. Jesus came to tell us all, ONCE AND FOR ALL, that we will never run out of second chances. We won't run out because we won't ever stop needing them.

I can't picture Jesus standing at the face of the road to second chances making sure I can't enter. I also can't picture Jesus standing there holding a meme poking fun at my mistakes. Especially the mistakes that come with great burdens to me and the people in my life.

Maybe I can't picture it because I don't want to picture it. Mine is a life built on the foundation of second chances. I've awakened to over 20,000 new days in my lifetime; a very high percentage of them have started with some sort of longing for a second chance.

I understand why people grow weary of giving second chances. We tend to grow weary of giving second chances because we give them from a place of limited resources.

Our patience runs out.

Our trust gets thin.

We start to keep score.

But Jesus isn’t drawing from a limited well. If anything, the Gospels paint a picture of someone who is more weary of people staying stuck in shame than of people needing grace.

Our capacity to give second chances is nowhere near the capacity Jesus has to do so. Lord have mercy am I thankful for that. Because for as long as I live, I know one thing for certain:

I'm going to need that road to second chances to remain wide open.