The Comeback Kid

So the other day one of my best friends and I were talking about life and laughing about all the crazy stuff we've done. Well, it was actually more like cringing about all the stupid stuff. Yes, that bad... And kinda scary :/ We both messed up in similar areas of our lives, did what we knew we shouldn't, got hurt, dealt with the consequences, blah blah blah... BUT we both made a glorious comeback :) We got up, dusted ourselves off, and with our chins up and a steady gaze fixed on the future, moved forward with our lives (much to the shock and dismay of those around us - some more than others). It's almost not fair... We should be suffering in pain, drowning in tears, guilt, sorrow, hiding our face in shame and burying our social life under a big rock, and yet here we are, out in the open, smiling, laughing, enjoying our friends, and embracing life. We are not victims of other people's sins, life circumstances or our own mistakes, we are the direct example of what God said about the righteous (His kids) being able to fall numerous times and get up after each one of those times. Why? Because it's a lot easier to forgive yourself (and others) knowing that you've already been forgiven by God. And it's a lot easier asking forgiveness from someone you know loves you more than anything.  God's mercy, grace, favor and love are not fair.

Sadly, so many Christians don't understand that, and instead of running towards God when they mess up, they run away from Him, thinking that they can't possibly keep calling themselves His children and accept good things from Him. But I know my God doesn't sit up somewhere in heaven waiting for me to fall so He can smite me. Just the opposite - He's always next to me, ready to catch me. He already came down from heaven once, and even back then, it wasn't to punish us, but to be with us. You see, my God doesn't just observe my life and roll His eyes in disgust every time I make a bad choice, He gets involved in everything I do and helps me make right everything that goes wrong. He understands because He knows me... Jesus himself experienced temptation, rejection, betrayal, and the pain of heartache. I serve a God who can relate to my life experiences, one who is fully aware of everything I'm going through, because He's been there too. He loves us when we least deserve it, because He knows that's when we most need it. 

I love calling myself "the comeback kid" because just like a rubber ball, I have a history of bouncing back from pretty insane situations. And fast. It took me a while to realize that I could do that, though. In the past, I used to come down pretty hard on myself after every screw up, but I don't anymore because I know that once I repent and confess my wrongdoings to God,  it's over. He's not going to hold a grudge against me, or rub it in my face later, so I'm free to move on. I am fearless because I'm not afraid of failure. Failure is not the end of the world. Not bouncing back from it is.