CLEOEJACKSONIII.COM
  • My Home Page
  • My Life and Ministry
  • My Ongoing Thoughts
  • My Favorite Bible Verses
  • My Favorite Stories
  • My Favorite Jokes
  • My Favorite Quotations
  • My Favorite Giving Thoughts
  • My Favorite Children's Stories
  • My Favorite Web Links
  • My Contact Info
"Helping Others Communicate"

BLUE MOON

8/2/2015

 
Song after song has been written about it.  And this is in spite of the fact that it only happens…  well, once in a blue moon!  This past Friday night, July 31, 2015, the world witnessed an authentic big beautiful blue moon.  Now the moon itself did not actually change color.  It was still a gorgeous yellow.  But it was a rare occurrence nonetheless.

You see, a blue moon unfolds when the cycle of nature gives us a second full moon inside of one month.  Our modern annual calendar is solar, not lunar.  This means that it is based on our own planet’s revolution around the sun.  Throughout history, other cultures have used a lunar calendar.  The problem is that the two cycles do not match up.  And that is why adjustments have to be made to calendars on occasion:  leap years for solar calendars and/or periodic extra months for lunar ones.

More to the point, it means that the cycles of the moon occur every 28 days inside of a solar calendar that is split between months of various lengths ranging from 28 to 31 days.  Thus, one can witness new moons and full moons every two weeks apart throughout the year.  And in this complicated cycle, one occasionally finds that two full moons occur inside of a given calendar month.  The result is the proverbial blue moon.

And they are relatively rare.  The last one was in 2012; and the next one is not scheduled to occur until 2018. This places them about three years apart on average.

To me, what I like about a blue moon is that it represents something happening again a second time around.  It reminds me that life will occasionally give each of us an unexpected second shot, a second opportunity, or a second chance.  True, this may not happen all the time.  These second chances may be rare enough.  But when they do unfold, they can be beautiful things indeed.

The Apostle Peter had one such chance.  In the Gospel of John, chapter 18, he failed miserably on the night before Jesus was crucified.  Given three successive opportunities either to embrace or deny his own association with Jesus, he regrettably failed all three times.  So much so that the Bible says he grew angry and even cursed and swore in his final denial. 

One can only imagine how badly he must have felt when, in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy, the rooster immediately crowed. Simon Peter, the supposed leader of the original twelve Apostles, was given the opportunity to assert that leadership role, and failed miserably.

And yet, a few days later (as recorded in Chapter 21), John tells us that Jesus, having risen from the grave after His earlier crucifixion and death, specifically sought Peter out, restored him, and then reinstated him in his ministry calling.

I have never knowingly denied my association with Christ.  But while I may not have  done so verbally, I cannot help but think that, however unintentionally, however inadvertently, I may have still done so by my behavior.  Like all followers of Christ, I know what it is like to fail in my attempts to glorify Him with my life.

But
I am thankful that my God is a God of grace and mercy!  Just when I think I have messed my life up so badly that there is no hope, He steps in and offers restoration, giving me a new opportunity to shine once again for Him.  Thank God for second chances!  I’m certain Peter did.  And so should we!

Comments are closed.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All