Do you ever wish life was like a movie?  When you flub your lines or miss your mark, you could just scream "take two" and then the only thing seen is when you actually got it right?  Honestly, I'd like the blooper reel of my life to not only never be seen, but I often wish it'd never happened.  Like when I grit my teeth, completely frustrated, and sputter out to my children, "You. must. have. patience."  Ah yi yi.  Do as I say not as I do?!  Or when I dish out harsh punishment when a child really needs gentleness.   Ugh, there's just too many examples of when I think to myself, "epic fail."  And, that's just considering yesterday.

Sometimes we go through a living-in-a pit-experience and it's completely not our making.  Illness strikes, financial crisis hits, or anxiety or depression crash upon us.  Other times--they are our own fault, if we'd admit it.  We make a really poor choice, and boom.  We are faced living through the consequences.  God's forgiveness of our sins does not mean that the consequences are erased after all.  Last month, I blogged about what happens in the midst of these trials--and we find ourselves feeling all alone.  Our prayers seem to bounce against the ceiling.  These are "in the cleft of the rock" moments, when God is often covering us up so that he can pass by and then show us His glory afterward.

And to be sure--those moments of realizing how God was moving when we couldn't see it.  Sublime.  But then what?  We are going back to our buddy Moses to answer that question.  Yesterday, I blogged about how Moses pleaded for God to not destroy those disobedient, golden calf worshiping, unfaithful people.  Talk about wishing for a take two!  God, in his endless mercy, gives them another chance.  Lest we look down upon the Israelites, consider your flubs from yesterday.  Are you a repeat offender?  Any tough habits you can't seem to shake?  Good news!  God will give you another chance (and another and another and another).

So, Moses, having broken those stone tablets of commandments, climbs the mountain again.  Take two!  He chooses to try it again, seeking the Lord, going away to that quiet place.  Making himself available--asking for God to meet him there.  And, meet him, he did.  God passes in front of him in a cloud and lets his voice be heard by Moses saying: