The Red Truck

I was coming around the bend on my morning walk.
I usually go around my route twice.
This was only my first time around.
I could see my house as I approached it.

I left one of the garages open but the house itself was locked.
My husband had already gone to work so it was his garage bay that I opened.
My daughter, home from college, was still sleeping for at least another hour.
I did a double take.

There was a red truck in my driveway.
The truck had its flatbed halfway inside the open garage.
Without missing a beat, I walked quickly down the driveway.
There was no one in the truck.

I could hear something in my garage.
I walked up to the open door making sure I stayed outside.
Can I help you? I asked without seeing anyone.
A head popped up and appeared startled.

A quick assessment led me to believe that this person meant no harm.
I could see that the person was delivering something.
I looked quickly into the flatbed and saw that it was carrying boxes of ceramic tiles.
This is a delivery for the M family at number…he said confused about the mix-up.

We are not the M family though you do have the right house number, I informed him.
However you have the wrong street; the M family lives in the cul-de-sac, I said smiling.
I am so embarrassed, he admitted.
It has happened before, I admitted, their mail has come here, but this is new, I laughed.

I thought this had to be the house since the garage was open for me, he said embarrassed.
I was on my walk, I said.
He looked at the boxes of ceramic tiles he had just unloaded onto the floor of my garage.
He knew that he had to load it back on the truck again only to unload at the correct house.

He apologized; I left him and continued on my walk.
I knew that he meant no harm and thought it was better to leave him to his work.
Besides, he would have to pass me as I walked around again.
I knew that I would see his truck in the correct driveway.

Sure enough as I walked up the hill and onto the cul-de-sac, I saw the red truck.
He did double the amount of work before his day even began.
I rounded the cul-de-sac and walked towards home.
I could hear his truck pull out of the driveway.

Miss, oh Miss, he called as he got out of his truck.
I just wanted to give you one of my cards so you know that I am who I said I am.
I took the business card and said goodbye.
I could tell that he was still terribly embarrassed.

He had his own contracting business.
I am sure that this kind of mix up is very rare.
It probably got his day off on the wrong start.
I hope that my reaction was gracious once I knew that he meant no harm.

When I got back inside, I thought of how I walked down the driveway towards the truck.
What if he had meant harm?
What if it was not an innocent mix-up?
Was I foolish to approach the unknown truck?

But it was my home.
But my daughter was inside the house.
But the truck was not supposed to be there.
All my protective instincts came out.

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (James 3:2)

During the winter, I remember seeing a funny commercial.
A man worked diligently to clean off all the snow from his car.
He scraped his windows, his side mirrors, and cleared his windshield wipers.
When he used the clicker to open his door, the car in front of the car he cleared unlocked.

I remember my audible groan as I watched that.
It was a huge mistake for him.
It was a tremendous blessing for the owner of the car he cleared.
It was not a good way to start his morning.

We all make mistakes.
If we say that we don’t, we are kidding ourselves.
There is no one who is perfect.
Perfection belongs to God alone.

That is why we must extend grace to those who make a mistake.
Perhaps it is our spouse, our children, or a co-worker.
There is no room for annoyance since we are not above making mistakes ourselves.
Mistakes are part of this fallen world.

Nothing is as it should be.
It is the little annoyances that are the most frustrating.
Many days, all we want to cry out is, Really?
It would be laughable if it was not so frustrating.

I am glad that God helped me to keep my anxiousness in check.
I am glad that I extended grace to someone who clearly made an embarrassing mistake.
I’ve made my share of mistakes.
I would hope that same grace would be extended to me.

I learned quite a bit from the man in the red truck.
I learned how our reactions can change a situation in the blink of an eye.
I learned that every day of my life, I am the man in the red truck.
I sin every day and God extends grace and is ready to forgive me.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
We are ashamed when we sin.
We are embarrassed.
If we are in Christ, we are forgiven when we repent and confess our sin.

Jesus never sinned; Jesus never fell short.
Jesus died on the cross as our substitute.
When we confess our sin to God, we know that we are forgiven.
When we trust in Jesus alone for our salvation, God sees His Son rather than our sin.

Now that is something to smile about.