Spiritual Mulligan

In golf, a mulligan is a retaken swing, usually due to a previously errant one. Strictly prohibited in the official rules of the game, mulligans are commonplace in social golf.

The term has found a broader acceptance in general speech, referring to any minor blunder which is allowed to pass unnoticed or without consequence. It is implied that a mulligan is forgiven because it was either made by a rank beginner, or it is unusual and not indicative of the level of play or conduct expected of the person who made the mulligan.

A mulligan is a re-do, a second chance to make it right.

How often do I mess up in my speech, in my actions, in my relationships with others, and think, "Well that was a mistake. I shouldn't have said (or done) that. Look at the mess I've made. Lesson learned. I won't make that mistake again."

What if, instead, I took a spiritual mulligan? What if upon realizing my blunder, I asked for a re-do? What if, instead of quietly musing on what went wrong, I owned it and asked for another shot at the conversation that went bad, or another chance to do the right thing, or committed to working on the relationship?

Spiritual mulligans take courage, courage to show just how weak and vulnerable I am, courage to own my mistakes, courage to let God do His work through me.

Have you ever experienced a spiritual mulligan?