A woman moved slowly down a crowded sidewalk, leaning on her cane. She stopped a passerby and asked how many blocks away a certain street was.
“It’s about three blocks that way,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction.
“That can’t be right,” she replied. “They told me to go to the corner and turn left, and that’s exactly what I did. So it has to be this way.”
Gently, he repeated that she was going the wrong direction. Seeing she was tired, he asked a nearby postal worker to help. The postal worker gave the same answer—and, since she was walking that way herself, invited the woman to come along. This time, the woman agreed to turn around.
She would never have reached her destination if she’d insisted on her own way. She hadn’t really wanted directions—she just wanted confirmation for her wrong direction.
Before we judge her, wait a minute. How often do we ask God for guidance while quietly hoping He’ll bless the path we’ve already chosen? How often do we dismiss His leading because it doesn’t match what we want to hear? God has already told us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8).
Like the prodigal son, we can wander into places that belong to the Father to manage, not us. The son took his own road, learned painful lessons, and finally came home saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21, NIV).
Yet the father ran to him, embraced him, and celebrated his return. Obedience brought restoration, not rejection.
Whether you see that story as salvation, daily surrender, or both, the message is the same:
Seek God’s way. It leads to a fuller life and far fewer painful detours.
The woman with the cane likely reached her destination in the end—but she spent extra time and strength going the wrong way first. Her feet were hurting; she caused herself pain.
Lord, help us not just to ask for Your directions, but to follow them the first time.
God bless you!
Pastor Janice Fareed-Hardy
