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Family Fatherhood For the Family Motherhood Parenting

It’s Not Too Late for a U-Turn

Is your family headed in a wrong direction? Perhaps you are fearful to get off your current track? When you have to make a U-turn because you’ve gone down a wrong path, don’t let shame or guilt keep you from making the turn.It’s better to get back on the right track,no matter how humbling, than to go along a path that leads to second best or worse, destruction. Make the turn, right here, today....

I was waiting at a red light to turn into my community.  An 18-wheeler with shiny silver sides was humming in front of me.  When the light turned green, instead of turning, this giant truck did a U-turn.

I watched from my car with my mouth wide open.

Would he make it? 

I didn’t know trucks that large could make U-turns in that intersection, but I saw it happen with my very own eyes.  The driver accomplished his swift U-turn on the first try, without running over the fire hydrant, trees or sidewalks.

It reminded me that it’s always possible to make a U-turn when we’ve gone the wrong direction in life.  Maybe sometimes it seems like it’s too late to change our course, or that a problem is much too large to turn around.

But if that huge truck could snake around and make a U-turn, believe me, with God’s help, you can too.

Maybe you have words that you need to apologize about.

Maybe you’ve gotten into a bad habit of falling asleep with the TV on instead of cuddling up to your spouse.

Maybe it’s been awhile since you said a prayer for your spouse or your kids. 

Take heart – it’s not too late for a U-turn.

My family was on vacation a few weeks ago.  When it was time to pack up, in a classic mom bellow, I roared “Come on everybody.  Pick up your stuff!  Hurry up!!!”

A few minutes later, I saw my 8-year-old daughter standing completely still in my whirl of activity.  It made me want to explode.

“Didn’t you hear me?” I said harshly.  “What are you doing just standing there?  Get going – put your toothbrush in the suitcase!”

After the words had been flung, I knew my tone was too harsh.  My daughter looked hurt.  But I felt justified.  After all, she was not helping in the packing process.

The next day, as God would have it, I was speaking to a group and a question came up about apologizing to our children.  And I realized that I needed to make a U-turn and apologize to my daughter for my tone.

My daughter accepted my apology.  And then something bonus happened.  My 10-year-old son observed my apology and said, “Oh, I totally remembered when you were so mean.”  That apology didn’t only build a bridge to my daughter.  It connected with my son who heard me use those harsh words.

When you have to make a U-turn because you’ve gone down a wrong path, don’t let shame or guilt keep you from making the turn.

It’s better to get back on the right track (no matter how humbling) than to go along a path that leads to second best or worse, destruction.

Is there a U-turn you need to make with one of your family members?

That huge 18-wheeler made the U-turn in my neighborhood.  With God’s help, you can make the U-turn that’s in front of you.

Blessings,

Arlene Pellicane, arlenepellicane.com

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About Arlene Pellicane

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World (co-authored with Gary Chapman), 31 Days to a Happy Husband, and 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife.
Arlene has been featured on the Today Show, Family Life Today, K-LOVE, The Better Show, The 700 Club, Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, and TLC’s Home Made Simple.
Arlene earned her BA from Biola University and her Masters in Journalism from Regent University. She lives in San Diego with her husband James and three children.
Visit Arlene at www.ArlenePellicane.com for free family resources including a monthly Happy Home podcast.

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