By Mohan Karulkar: three-fingers[1]10 Things I Wish articles are really hot right now, so I'm jumping on board.  I believe in quality over quantity, though, so I only did 3.

Here are 3 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Becoming a Person of the Second Chance:

  1. Showing grace is hard. Sometimes, I'm like a counselor with an anger problem, or a fitness coach who hides Twinkies around the house.  I can write about grace all day, but when it comes time to forgive that guy from college, I suddenly have a dentist appointment.  Giving someone a second chance is a selfless act, and my pride constantly fights against it.  However, I am getting better.  I've learned to be more patient.  I've also learned to recognize when I'm being a jerkface and need to calm down.  I've also put a filter in place, and have gotten pretty good at deleting vengeful Facebook posts before hitting submit.  But for the most part, I still suck at showing grace, and am a work in progress.  Maybe you're the same way; let's be friends.
  2. My story doesn't have to be exciting. When I first started curating stories for the website, I began having doubts about my own story. Compared to other people's compelling tales of tragedy and triumph, mine seemed pretty dull.  I believed in a God of second chances, but started to wonder if I'd missed out on some of the action. Of course, that's garbage, and I learned that over time too.  All our stories matter, and they're all a compelling drama to God.  Our stories aren't about blood and guts, but about the transformation of our hearts and minds. And if you could script the transformations my heart has gone through over the years, you'd have a blockbuster. So stop being insecure about your story; we all have something to teach.
  3. The world fights back. You can preach grace all day, but there will always be people who refuse to forgive. Seeing someone squirm makes our own shaky footing feel stronger, and highlighting someone's faults makes our mistakes seem more distant. The idea that everyone needs grace is offensive to some people, and makes the desire to withhold grace even stronger.  When you refuse to gossip about Tiger, and Kim, and Paris, and all the rest, you may find yourself left out of the conversation, but you're not alone.  POTSC is made of up people who are committed to pushing back against the Vulture Culture. So don't get discouraged, and don't give in

So, there's my list ... don't leave me hanging!   Which one resonates most strongly with you?  What would you add?