Confession Time:  I love American Idol.  I have watched every season, have been to two of the tour concerts and have been known to enjoy Simon’s snarky commentary. *gasp*

This season I have two favorite contestants- Crystal Bowersox and Big Mike.  As a musician myself (I sing, play the piano and the flute) I watch American Idol for the talent competition and those two are (by far) the most talented this season.

So, last night was traumatic for me.  Big Mike in the bottom two?  Big Mike in danger of being sent home?

And then the judges (literally) saved the season for me. They unanimously voted to use their ONE save of the season to keep Big Mike on the show.

I exhaled.

All was right with my reality TV world again.

Then, as I often do, I lay in bed praying myself to sleep.  And the thought that drifted into my consciousness made me sit upright in bed and write in my journal. (This often happens too)

What if salvation was a popularity contest?

What if our eternal destiny was dependent on how well we performed?

What if our fate lay in the hands of subjective strangers?

Why do we treat life as if the above are true so much of the time?

I know that I am guilty of having changed the way I do things to please others.

I know that I have placed my faith in accomplishment and fallen prey to selfish ambition (way too many times).

I know that I have put my trust in “industry” leaders, like pastors, teachers and the like, to rescue me and give me the answers, rather than relying on the only Judge’s opinion that truly matters.

By grace.  Not luck.  Not talent.  Not votes.  Not judgment by others.  Not popularity contests.   By grace.

So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.  Romans 11:5-6

Thank goodness we serve a God of second (and three hundredth) chances.  If we didn’t I would have been kicked off this stage a long time ago.  How about you?