Astray

Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent

O God, you know my foolishness,
and my faults are not hidden from you.
Psalm 69:6

A car pulls up in the lane next to me at the stoplight and the driver waves at me, rolling down his window. Realizing he wants to speak to me, I roll down my window as well. “Is there a hardware store around here,” comes the question.

The answer is yes, but I struggle for a moment to think of how one would get there from here. The route becomes clear in my head and I quickly give him directions as the light turns green and we both move on.

A few moments later, I realize I have pointed him in the wrong direction. I have told him to turn right at a junction where he will need to turn left. There is no going back. I cannot correct the mistake or apologize later. He will have to find further help from some other quarter.

There are times when I give poor directions, supply wrong information, and inadvertently lead others astray. Sometimes I have the opportunity to correct these mistakes. Other times I am left only with regret. Then there are the times I have no idea I have been at fault.

I say a little prayer that the traveler finds a better guide and arrives safely at his destination. And even though he will never know, I offer an apology as well. And I offer to God my shortcomings, this one and the others that will trip me up today. It’s all I’ve got. And today, it will have to be enough.

Image credit: zimmytws / 123RF Stock Photo