Parents, We’re gonna need a mulligan! I was playing golf for the first time with a friend. I hit the ball off the first tee and it was horrible… I think the tee went further than the ball. He said, “do you want a mulligan?” I said, “what is a mulligan?” “It’s the golf word for a ‘do-over’... even though it is against the formal rules of golf, you get a do-over.” I thought, “wow! Yes! I want a mulligan.”
During these many hours at home, in the middle of the weight of all the bad news, we’re gonna need a mulligan. We may overreact, or not react at all when a reaction is needed. We need to give ourselves a do-over sometimes. Not to let us off the hook, but to realize that this stress can be tremendous and can impact how we act. Give yourself a mulligan, ask your family for a mulligan, go apologize if you have hurt someone, and get some joy back in your life.
Your kids are gonna need a mulligan. Their little hearts and minds must be full of hurt and confusion. Life as they have always known it has been disrupted. Kids are resilient, but at some point, they are going to need to hear you say, “do you want a mulligan?” “Can we have a do-over?”
My wife, Anita Grossmann McGinnis teaches me a lot about grace and mercy. It is like her to give grace and mercy quickly to those around her. One of her favorite passages is Lamentations 3:22-23, that says, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”. (ESV) Wow! God gives us a mulligan every morning!
Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you!
