About six months ago, I saved an article written about making ‘comebacks’. I don’t know why it appealed to me because I don’t believe I’ve made any dramatic comebacks. Perhaps, though, in terms of misguided thoughts and actions, I have had comebacks. I’d suppose we’d call recovering from an illness a form of a comeback so maybe I’m wrong in thinking most of us don’t experience comebacks.

I know I have turned back from some hasty choices and have tried my best to make amends and choose wise options when making future choices and actions.

But when I think in terms of companies or prominent figures in politics or business that have regained new perspective and have become ‘alive’ again, I don’t believe most of us have had such an experience. Nor have I been one of the wealthy and famous and found my image had slipped and a comeback was necessary and welcomed. I don’t think I rue the fact that I’m not one of them. Who would want their troubles to be the head news story of the day on national television?

But if I were to think about a ‘comeback’ in a different manner, perhaps we have all on occasion found the need for one.

I know from personal experience, it is easy to get lost while driving to an unfamiliar location. (Sometimes a familiar one you haven’t seen in awhile) But that is being lost in a different manner than the sense of loss that comes when we make a wrong decision in life and find ourselves moving in a direction that will bring nothing but pain and trouble.

It affords me some comfort to realize that Biblical people we revere have also made wrong choices. Remember Peter, the beloved disciple, denying Jesus not once but three times when he had vowed never ever to leave or deny Jesus?

We know how he changed and redirected his life and became one of the disciples that witnessed and led people to the Christ.

Or perhaps, let’s talk about Paul. He was a devout Jew who was also an adamant persecutor of the early Christians; Paul was responsible for the death of many believers. Certainly he made a total about- turn. It took a dramatic meeting, blindness, and a total change of heart, but he became a believer. By turning his back on the past, He made a dramatic comeback indeed. Instead of being remembered as a persecutor, we think of him as one of the leading characters in the foundation of the early church.

I may be looking at a ‘comeback’ in a different manner, but I’ve found myself thinking about people on the wrong or, perhaps in business, ‘losing’ path.

Such things happen within companies when someone comes out with a product that surpasses the first company’s product. They must change, move ahead, and make a ‘comeback’ or they suffer great loss or even total failure.

However, there are personal ‘comebacks’. We have read of individuals whose lives seem to be doomed by a succession of bad decisions and bad behavior. But somehow, they found a different perspective, made different choices, and changed their lives. Their ‘comebacks’ become stories that others work to emulate.

I am guessing here, but I think if we were to look back at our own personal choices, we might just find a time when we made the wrong choice. It could have been a minor hiccup in our lives, but it could also have made a tremendous difference in our future.

We can’t go back and relive our lives. We can only learn from our mistakes and strive to do better.

We can turn to God for guidance, for strength to meet the day’s challenges, for understanding, and yes, for forgiveness when we end up making the wrong decision.

God gives us the chance to make comeback after comeback. We sin and we say we won’t do it again, but most often, we do.

In our wildest imagination, I guess we can’t begin to count the times God gives us another chance, (another possibility for a comeback).

You and I may never make a comeback that is covered on the nightly news, but we can offer thanks daily to a God who understands us, knows our mistakes and wrong choices, but still forgives and loves us? 

We are never alone and we can always walk confident that God goes with us and if we make a ‘wrong turn’, He welcomes us back with His unending love.

And, being a recipient of such an awesome love gives us the hope that we can always make a ‘comeback’ as God is always there waiting. What a gift and a gift given freely because how could we ‘earn’ such love.