False Fairytales, Interrupted Lives, and Second Chances

"Then the word of God came to Jonah a second time."  Jonah 3:1

I was in kindergarten when Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married.  I remember waking up way before dawn to watch the royal wedding and being awestruck at the beauty of the young princess.  It is still a sweet memory when I think about how much I loved that wedding.  My Aunt Carolyn even got me Princess Diana and Prince Charles dolls that I still have somewhere at my Mom's house.

How I loved that fairytale wedding!  I used to take my Holly Hobby bedspread off my twin bed and my sister would take her matching yellow bedspread off her bed.  We would take the bedspreads downstairs where we had a long hall.  We would go out into the yard and pick bouquets of weeds.  Then, we would line our dolls up on the staircase as if they were sitting in pews watching the ceremony, and we would take turns tying our bedspreads on our heads to make veils with long trains, holding our bouquets as we walked down the hall "aisle" to become a beautiful bride.

Fast forward 30 years--I have now been a "bride" for 13 years, and while it hasn't always been a fairytale, and I certainly haven't always been beautiful, I have been richly blessed with a happy marriage and incredible husband.  I remember just like it was yesterday running down the stairs from my childhood bedroom in my sock feet, running through that same hall into the kitchen on the morning of our wedding and asking my precious parents, "Who wants to see me get married today??"  That night, for the first time in my entire life, my face hurt from smiling literally all day long.  It was a magical day, a fairytale wedding, and we were blissfully in love.  The next day on the plane ride to our honeymoon, we both fell asleep.  When we woke up, the flight attendant stopped by our seats and asked if we were newlyweds.  We asked, "How did you know?" She said, "Newlyweds are the only people on these planes who smile in their sleep."

Three kids, a mortgage, and juggling dual demanding careers later, needless to say we don't always smile in our sleep, and while we are happy, I don't think it would be fair to say all our days have been blissful.  Just like all couples, we argue about really important things like toothpaste tubes and the right brand of ketchup.  Sometimes, we absolutely drive each other crazy and want to scream.  But at the end of the day, I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate him as a father, as a partner in our crazy life, and, most importantly, as my Prince Charming, and I was reminded this week about what a blessing he is in my life.

The Mission Athens team very often works with single moms.  This week, we have met several moms who are struggling to make ends meet for their young children.  We have also met grandparents who are now faced with the daunting task of caring for their grandchildren.  I am quite certain that many years ago, these same families' faces hurt from smiling on happy wedding days, days these young women had dreamed about since their childhoods, days when it all seemed so full of hope and possibility.

As we all know, life is not a fairytale.  Just today, we met a mom who has escaped a violent situation, moved her family across multiple states with just the clothes on their backs, just to find a safe harbor from her interrupted life and false fairytale.  How terrified she must have been pulling out of the driveway, racing through the night, praying for a second chance!

In the book of Jonah, God provides us with a powerful example of His blessing of second chances.  As we all know, Jonah DID NOT want to go to Ninevah.  He had his own plans, his own dreams, his own fairytale.  God had a different plan.  Jonah made a series of bad choices that left him in the belly of a fish.  I can't imagine how terrified he must have been.  He must have truly felt he was finished, out of chances and out of hope.  And that is exactly when God blessed him with a second chance.

Perhaps the most wonderful blessing that has happened to the Mission Athens team this week is the opportunity to work with people who are not homeless, who are not destitute.  This week, we have helped families who are working, who are actively seeking work, and who are willing to study the Bible and learn about how God can offer them hope.  Even after their best efforts, it is still impossible to make ends meet and pay for housing, food, clothing, gas, and bills in this difficult economy.  Many of these people are working in jobs for which they are overqualified, but that job is the only one to be had.  It is an all too important reminder of how close we all are to needing a helping hand, a renewed hope, a second chance.

While I know that life is not a fairytale, I am so thankful for the gift of hope that God has given us and the comfort that we can be redeemed and saved by His powerful mercy and be granted an eternal home in heaven with Him.  Because I have been forgiven, my life is no longer my own.  My prayer is that my life will be a wonderful romance with Him, and that He will welcome me home at the end of my journey with open arms. 

While the Mission Athens team cannot heal the hurt that comes from broken promises and betrayed trust, we can pour ourselves out at the feet of those hurting to show them His love and the grace that He gives to those who fall in love with Him.  Tonight, my prayer is that just as He did for Jonah, God will reveal His second chances to these families who need His guidance, and that He will bless them richly as they recommit their lives in service to Him.  I hope that in the coming days and months, these special children of God will go to bed with sore faces, not from crying tears of desperation, but from smiling all day as they count their blessings, and that they, too, will fall asleep smiling, looking forward to the brighter futures God has in store for them.