Sunday, April 1, 2018

Let Love Bloom: Second Chances


Do You Need a Second Chance?
A devotional by Linda Shenton Matchett

I love miniature golf, but I know very little about “real” golf. However, one term I am familiar with is “mulligan.”

Several years ago I worked with a man (a golf-pro) whose wedding ring was engraved with the word mulligan because he and his wife had remarried after divorcing many years before. According to Wikipedia, “a mulligan is a second chance to perform an action, usually after the first chance went wrong through bad luck or a blunder. Its best-known meaning is in golf whereby a player is informally allowed to replay a stroke (though this is against the formal rules of golf). The term has also been applied to other sports and games and to other fields generally. The origin of the term is unclear.”

This couple was getting a “do-over” for the marriage. As someone who has made her fair share of mistakes, I appreciate the opportunity for a second chance. Perhaps that’s why many of my stories include that theme.

People don’t always give us the benefit of a second chance, but the good news is that our Father in Heaven does. He is a God who regularly provides His people with a mulligan, a “do-over,” if you will. For example, Rahab was a prostitute, yet is part of our Lord’s lineage. Or consider Paul who persecuted Christians, yet became a great missionary. Then there was the prophet Elijah who fled in fear and asked God to let him die. But God sent an angel to refresh Elijah before telling him to anoint Hazael king over Aram.

Have you ever needed or wanted a second chance? Did you make a poor first impression? Did you say or do something you instantly regretted? Or perhaps you are arguing with God over something He’s calling you to do. It’s not too late for a mulligan. Your second chance may be less dramatic than that of these Bible characters, but it is no less miraculous. And it’s available. With today being Easter, what better time to ask.

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."~Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

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Author Bio:

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, journalist, blogger, and history geek. 

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. 

When she is not writing or researching, she is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. 

To find out more about her and her books, visit 
www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

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Book blurb for "A Love Not Forgotten" (Part of the Let Love Spring collection):

Allison White should be thrilled about her upcoming wedding. The problem? She’s still in love with her fiancé, Chaz, who was declared dead after being shot down over Germany in 1944. Can she put the past behind her and settle down to married life with the kindhearted man who loves her?


It’s been two years since Charles “Chaz” Powell was shot down over enemy territory. The war is officially over, but not for him. He has amnesia as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, and the only clue to his identity is a love letter with no return address. Will he ever regain his memories and discover who he is, or will he have to forge a new life with no connections to the past?

Buy Linda's book on Amazon.

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Connect with Linda:
Website - www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
Group Blog - www.StitchesThruTime.blogspot.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/authorlindamatchett
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett/
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/authorlindamatchett
Amazon author page - https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Shenton-Matchett/e/B01DNB54S0
Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

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2 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me on your blog! Blessings, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yes, many times! This sounds like such an amazing story!!

    ReplyDelete

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