Second Chances

 I'd hoped I'd be able to write this post as someone who'd been able to give an abandoned dog a second chance. Unfortunately in this world things don't always work out as we hope they will. I wrote the paragraph below the morning we brought Sam home, when we thought the damage that had been done to him was reparable. Despite the love, patience and understanding we showed, he attacked me three times, biting pre-emptively as events in our home triggered memories of being mistreated previously. We realised we weren't equipped to help him and had to return him to the SPCA for his and our safety.

 

Our experience with Sam doesn't negate the fact that we are given so many chances by God, despite the fact that our behaviour towards him is often not that different from that of an enraged and aggressive spaniel. Sam's problems were the result of human  mistreatment. Our own problems are also the result of human mistreatment and bad choices, our own and those of other people.

 

God is a God of second, third, fourth, so many chances, until the one we die with is the one he finally underlines.

We had hoped that love and patience would have been enough to redeem Sam. We were wrong, his problems needed far deeper treatment.

Our problems need deeper treatment. Without knowledge of and surrender to Jesus' healing, the problems of our world and our lives will never be healed.

 

God gives us many chances to come to him and be healed. Are self-centredness, fear, stubborness, pride preventing you from approaching him before it's too late?

 

Love will heal all in the end, but only the love of Jesus and only if we take the step to accept it.