Can I have a second chance at life , can I make right all the wrong I did, can I slow my walk through the tunnel of time to savour the pleasures that never lasted long ? Can I rest in the arms of dear ones who left too soon, can I hold them tight never to let go, never to say the goodbyes that filled my life with sadness ? Can I live again the goodness of those long gone idyllic days, a time when we only chased happiness and dreams that never materialised ?
Can I embrace the joy that was once a way of life, can I retrace my steps, can I turn away from the path of disappointment, and walk the sure path of success? Can I un-speak the words that caused dissent, the words that made enemies of even trusted friends ? Can I wave a wand to undo the hurt I caused, can I erase the grief of careless actions, can I go back and heed the warnings of wisdom before my unwise choices resulted in disappointment ?
Can I stop time, can I change the one wrong decision made in haste, that shaped my life and those of loved ones, can I coax a whisper of consent from time, to halt and alter that which is unalterable? Can I wipe out from the past that tragic accident, that one life changing incident which fashioned our destiny and even of those not yet born ? Can I go back and heal the pain, the suffering I witnessed every single day since ?
Can I return to reclaim the time I lost, squandered in the pursuit of futile goals ? Can I break the silence of time, confess to my sins of neglect, wastefulness and apathy, can I chase away the guilt of actions that caused anguish in others and me ? Can I find that momentous cross roads again , stop and walk the right path, to avoid the endless chaos, can I go back to change, to delete the past, and start over again?
Can I relive life on my terms, rewrite my script, knowing the road ahead, knowing where to tread, knowing the pitfalls, circumventing them, knowing actions best suited for a contented life ? Can I live knowing the people to avoid, the people to hold close, knowing when to say ‘no’ ,when to speak and when to stay silent? Can I return to the past and grab the innocence I left behind, can I re-learn that happiness is my wealth, can I try once more to experience joy in the small things, can I rekindle those long lost dreams?
Will I get it right the second time, can I really change my fortune, can I change what is already engraved in time ?Then looking back I think, is my life not exactly what it is meant to be, is it not according to my God’s plan, as He wished it for me? Each time I strayed, each time I took a misstep, there was always a gentle Hand to guide me, each time I mourned, His angels He sent to minister, to comfort me . Each time strife overtook, each time pain reared its ugly head, His abundant grace surrounded me.
Each time I erred and repented, I felt His overflowing mercy and forgiveness, each time I faltered, His outstretched arms caught me. He made my wrong His right, turning it around for my good. Each time I wallowed in self pity, each time I felt sad and lonely, He whispered tenderly that I was not alone, He used the tears I wept, to wash away my sorrows, filling me with His peace . Now I stand strong knowing, the One who gave me life walks by my side, He has set me free from the shackles of the past, and I have no need for second chances, for He holds far greater things in store for me !
Mary Jacob 