Mondays are always good do-over days. It’s a great day to start a diet, to set goals, to fix what you messed up last week. You get the idea. The beginning of a new week seems the logical point to make amends for past mistakes and jump start your future. Well, it doesn’t always work out that way, does it? For example, a few years ago, I greeted Monday with great enthusiasm. I got out my garden tools and began the task of pruning some dead branches. In my enthusiasm, I pulled one back that had no intention of leaving. Instead, it whacked me in the face. I immediately saw stars and thought it was curtains for me. The result was a huge shiner which couldn’t be covered with any amount of makeup.

Later in the day while taking a bath, I reached for a wash cloth.  As I sat back down, the non-skid mat slid from under me and I slipped back into the water, knocking my already bruised head against the ceramic soap dish.  A huge bump ensued and again I thought this was my final swan song.

We often have days like that, which generally fall into the Murphy’s Law category.  As we age, the odds get even stronger. Every mishap is deemed a lack of control and a sign of growing older. As I age, I forget simple things, especially when trying to multi-task, which I wasn’t particularly good at in the first place.  I leave one room on a quest for something and by the time I reach the next room, I’ve totally forgotten what I was going for.  Maybe it has something to do with all the head banging I’ve inflicted on myself through poor judgment. Some of the best lessons we can learn have to do with that old adage, “Hindsight is 20/20.” We can learn not to do those things again. More importantly, we can move forward rather than looking back.

God is giving us a second chance by placing those obstacles in our way. Instead of blaming Him for our situation, we should be thanking Him for leading us down a different path. That path leads to Him and His perfect plan for our lives. The first do-over was done when He sent His own Son to earth to save us all from the grip of sin and death. His sacrifice was perfection. His way is also perfect. Hang on to that good news and move into this week with new gusto. God has watered the desert of our hearts with living water. It’s time to quench our thirst and move on.