The Mulligan Lesson


There’s always plenty of New Year’s advice, but I gave my grandson the mulligan lesson.


Dear O,

This is my first letter to you in the New Year! Every year is a fresh beginning and every day is a new start. As much as you love sports, I thought you might like to learn something about a sport I played. 

In golf, you can take a mulligan if you blow your first shot. A mulligan gives you a fresh start if your hit off the first tee is awful. It’s nice because your golf game doesn’t begin badly—you get the gift of a second chance.



In life, we get mulligans too. Sometimes teachers give them if you do poorly on a test when they know you tried hard. 

Sometimes coaches give you a mulligan when they see that you have what it takes, even after some missed shots. 

Your parents are quick to give you a mulligan if you’re honestly doing what you can to help.
                





Mulligans are about giving it our best shot—even if it’s on the second try. In a game of golf, there’s only one mulligan. 

Good thing that life isn’t like golf—we need more mulligans than that.










So, my 2017 advice is to show how much you care about everything you’re asked to do, and then people will be a lot more likely to offer you a mulligan if things don’t work out. 

One more thing—it’s always nice when we offer mulligans too. Everyone needs a mulligan, and it’s a great way to begin again.

Love, Grandma




Offering mulligans is just another way of showing the love of Christ: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22

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