Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how simple it is to make a wrong turn in life. One small decision to take a step in the wrong direction can lead down a road we never meant to travel.

I was sitting with one of my great friends at church on a Wednesday night. The worship time was fantastic, yet thanks to the Coke I had purchased and drank prior to the service, I really had to go. So as soon as the music ended, I scooted out to the bathroom. I was in a hurry because I didn’t want to miss out on anything in the service. Our Wednesday night services are an hour and a half of awesomeness. I rushed out of the auditorium, and I headed for the bank of doors that lead to the bathrooms.

On my way out of the auditorium, I ran into a couple of men on staff at church, almost quite literally ran into them in my haste to go, said a quick hello and hurried on my way. The doors to the bathroom number about six or eight. (We have a lot of potties.) Men’s doors to the right, women’s doors to the left.

Heading left, I hurried on to the bathroom. I grabbed the door, flung it open and rushed inside. Looking up I saw a bank of shiny silver urinals on the wall in front of me. That and two very surprised men. Oh great.

Never slowing down, I said, “Oops!” spun around and headed back out the door I had just entered. It was then that I saw her. The woman who had entered in behind me. Her eyes were wide open as she apparently also saw the bank of urinals and quite surprised men. I grabbed her by the hand and yanked her out the door with me. The one that was clearly labeled, “Men”.

We both stumbled out the door laughing and quickly headed into the next door that led us to our much nicer much more women’s bathroom. She told me, “At least we were together in there!”

But here’s the truth about that. We didn’t go in together. She actually followed me in thinking I knew where I was going. I can’t completely fault her in that. I must have appeared like a woman on a mission who knew exactly where I was going. Why wouldn’t she follow me? Only she was wrong. I was in such a hurry, I missed my mark by one door.

Not only did I make a wrong turn for myself, I led someone else down that same path… funny this time, but still wrong.

That’s the danger in not paying attention. We cannot only hurt ourselves but we can jeopardize someone else. That’s why the Bible cautions us not to be a stumbling block to others. We really can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel. This is a recurring problem for me. I rush so much that sometimes I miss the clear signs right in front of me.

I think I know it all. I push ahead sure of where I am going and what I am doing. I don’t take time to listen. I don’t take time to be still and hear. Following after God isn’t supposed to be as hard as I sometimes make it. I just need to remember that to follow God means I am to follow…

After a final glance around the women’s room with it’s pretty seating area and goody baskets, I headed back into the auditorium and slid back into my seat beside my friend. I leaned over and whispered to her, “The ladies room is much prettier than the men’s…”