15th January 2010 - A Second Chance

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23

A year ago today, 155 people on US Airways Flight 1549 thought they were going to die. During take-off from New York City, their plane struck a flock of geese, disabling both engines. In a powerless glide, the captain maneuvered over the densely populated area, then announced: “Brace for impact.” Less than 90 seconds later, the crippled plane made a water landing in the frigid Hudson River, where boats and ferries quickly arrived to rescue the passengers and crew, all of whom survived. People called it the “miracle on the Hudson” and praised the pilot and crew. One grateful passenger said simply, “We have a second chance in life.”

In times of crisis, we grasp the importance of every hour. During our ordinary routine, however, we often forget that each day is a second chance. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’ ” (Lam. 3:22-24).

We can choose to live with thankfulness for God’s mercy and grace, with confidence in His faithful care, and with hope because He is with us forever. Today, God offers us a second chance in life. Let’s make the most of it! — David C. McCasland

As shadows of night give way to dawn’s light,
God opens the door to a brand-new day;
And with it come mercies from His gracious hand
For giving new mercies is always His way. —D. De Haan

Our God is a God of second chances.

Lamentations 3:22-33 (New International Version)

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.

²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.

³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.

³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.

³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

Reflections:

Hmm, let me just start with quoting a paragraph from a commentary of Lamentations 3: 21-36:

Having stated his distress and temptation, the prophet shows how he was raised above it. Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should observe what makes for us, as well as what is against us. God's compassions fail not; of this we have fresh instances every morning. Portions on earth are perishing things, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Afflictions do and will work very much for good: many have found it good to bear this yoke in their youth; it has made many humble and serious, and has weaned them from the world, who otherwise would have been proud and unruly. If tribulation work patience, that patience will work experience, and that experience a hope that makes not ashamed. Due thoughts of the evil of sin, and of our own sinfulness, will convince us that it is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? Happy shall we be, if we learn to receive affliction as laid upon us by the hand of God.

As I read what was written for the Daily Bread, I recalled an incident happened years ago, when I was still a kid. It was an afternoon when my mum picked me up from school, and she was very worried. On our way back home, she told me that my dad was supposed to take a domestic flight in Sabah from a city to another, and the plane crashed. It was exactly the flight that my dad was supposed to be on. Sad to say this, but when I was young, I pretty much didn't know how to appreciate my family members. At that time, I was thinking, was I supposed to be worried? But I didn't feel the worry... Well, what happened back then was that, for some reasons my dad missed the flight, he didn't get on the plane! Hence, he was safe and sound. =) Now that I think back, I feel really grateful for how things turned out, for the SECOND CHANCE given to my dad and I. Things would have been so much different if my dad got on that plane. This second chance is more than a chance for me to further my studies overseas etc, but it's a chance for me to love my dad more (like I said, I didn't know how to appreciate him back then. I only came to realise how important family is to me at around college time), and perhaps it's even a chance for me to tell my dad all about God one day.

Well, besides this kinda big, dramatic events, just like what the passage say, each day we wake up in the morning, despite carrying the grief and sorrow from the days before, we are actually having our second chances, for the Lord's compassion is new everyday. (verse 22-23) These days I realise that I make mistakes almost everyday, no matter how small it is. I might say something wrong which hurt someone yesterday, get annoyed by someone when I shouldn't today and ignore someone in need which I can actually help tomorrow. These are things which seem to be negligible in life, frequently, time just passes on without myself even stopping and reflect on my own mistakes and thinking whether I want to make changes to my attitude towards things. Chances are given everyday, but it is up to me as to whether I want to grab them, and use them to make differences. As oppose to the mistakes which I mentioned, I could have apologize for things that I say, perhaps unintentionally, spend some time to observe and discover the good qualities of other people instead of just complain and whine about things which I don't quite like, and I can actually be more sensitive to people's needs and offer my concern and help whenever I can. (Let "make us a blessing" not just be a song that we sing, or a prayer that we say, but also an action to reach out and show's God's love)

As I was writing, more incidents came into my mind, such as amended friendships (which have previously gone bad etc. "Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse." As the journey continues, I pray that we all will be able to rejoice still, for whatever that happens, and to learn to receive the afflictions that are laid upon us by God's hands to help us grow. Grab also the chances given out of mercy when we can, for we don't know when will the next chances arrive if we miss the current one.

yee kuan