Musings of An Eclectic Cowboy
Second Chances
October 17, 2008
This week I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Waco at the Methodist Children's Home. I have been given the pleasure for the last couple of years to serve as a Commissioner at The Home but have had a relationship with them for close to 10 years now. And I firmly believe that this is the Greatest Ministry that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. I say this because they not only have the desire to help "At Risk" Children but they have the passion to help these kids no matter what the cost. They offer these kids a second chance. The theme for this years meeting was "Lasting Impressions".
We all have gone through lasting impressions whether it is the memory of our first kiss, our Baptism, the birth our first child, a horrible wreck that we witnessed or were in, an insult we endured or the death of someone we love. Each and everyone of these events effect us the rest of our lives. Now I don't think that I have ever met someone who has only had positive impressions in their lives but for probably most people the positive impressions have definitely outweighed the negative ones. But on the other hand the negative things that happen in our lives tend to have a lot more power over us than the positive ones. Now why is this so, if we have had a great life and could honestly say that 90% of it has been fantastic then why do we let the 10% that is bad effect us in such a way. Why do we let the death of a child lead us to become an alcoholic? Why do we let ourselves become anorexic when someone calls us fat? Why do we contemplate suicide when we loose our life savings in the stock market?
Now I am not a psychologist or a councilor of any kind but I do have an opinion. And that opinion is that when bad things happen we don't want to admit it to the world but deep inside we have to admit to ourselves that we are human and are not perfect. So then we see ourselves as a failure and when we see ourselves as a failure then we do all that we can to prove that we are a failure. Now to me the only way to get past that failure is to get a second chance. That second chance can come from someone else or it can come from ourselves but to make a difference we have to reach up and take it.
To be honest I don't know if anybody deserves a second chance (I sure don't deserve one) but everyone needs one. And God is looking to us to offer that chance. The Thief that died on the cross next to Jesus got a second chance and went to heaven, and it was not because he deserved to go.
There are people in your community that need a second chance. There are neighbors that need a second chance. There are family members that need a second chance. You need a second chance. There are people everywhere in this world that need a second chance and it is up to you to offer it to them. Offer them Christ and the second chance will come. Accept Christ and the second chance will come.
Methodist Children's Home serves over 1,000 kids daily in Texas and New Mexico offering a second chance through Christ and I am proud to be a part of that. But you don't have to be a part of that organization or any other to make a difference all you have to do is open your heart and your eyes to the needs around you and you can make a difference too.
For more information on Methodist Children's Home go to www.methodistchildrenshome.org or contact me and I will be glad to tell you more.
Vaya con Dios
The Eclectic Cowboy
Winfield Davenport