What a gift it is to be given another chance, a redo.  I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the moments when I have done or said something less than desirable, yet have been given grace by those around me.

The times I have been given grace have strengthened my ability to be both forgiving and thankful.  But most importantly, I learn from each experience and pay it forward. 

With close friends, it is easy to see past some minor hiccups in one’s behavior or words.  I know the value of friendship and understand the true intentions of my close friends.  It is with those we don’t know as well that giving another chance is a big risk.  A fear that the same thing will happen again.  That we will feel naïve for allowing something to happen twice.

Could it be that someone is nervous about being around a group or person they don’t know well?  Maybe they feel pressure and are having a difficult time showing their true self because of the anxiety and stress of the unknown.  The possibility of trying too hard to fit in, or even worse, being paralyzed by the thought of losing the opportunity for friendship.  But what if our grace allows this person to blossom? 

Think about how you feel when someone gives you another chance at an unexpected moment.  Suddenly, you are allowed to reveal your true values.   You are provided an opportunity to increase the integrity of the life you’re living.

It was a surprise to me moving through life, realizing and witnessing how people handle various situations.  I’ve seen people with beautiful, strong values compromise to fit in with a desired group, and I’ve witnessed individuals displaying one set of values yet following through with something altogether different. 

But I have also seen people, unsure of their values, given another chance with total grace.  What I mean by that is, they were given another chance without any consequences, without anything attached to that second opportunity.

Think about what this world would be like if we were all given another chance.  Instead of tearing someone down, we provide the tools and opportunity to learn from the display of bad judgment.  Showing forgiveness, compassion, and understanding by providing a bit of grace and another chance.

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