If you've lived for any amount of time in New York State, you've certainly seen one of these signs in your travels. Likely you've even had the misfortune of seeing one just after you missed your exit. I always notice them when the next exit is 20-30 miles further down the road. It is at these times that such signs seem to taunt me and further rub in that now I'm stuck driving far out of my way to get back on track! It is because of my somewhat negative experience with "No U-Turn" signs, that I so loved my first visit to New Jersey. You see in New Jersey they have very similar signs with the exception that these allow U-Turns!
For the lost traveler, U-Turns offer a chance to get back on track, but in our lives, a U-Turn can be seen as an opportunity at reconciliation or even for avoiding further hardship. Our Epistle Lesson this week, 1 Corinthians 10:13, shared an important point about these opportunities we've labeled "U-Turns". Not only does God allow U-Turns, God even provides them for us throughout our lives and strongly encourages us to take advantage of them.
The reality of U-Turns provided by God can be seen in the story of David & Bathsheba as well as a story from my own youth. Both stories start out with two men being where they didn't belong. David's story starts out "In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war" David stayed home. He was where he wasn't supposed to be. It continues with David deciding to get some fresh air and walking up to his roof. Again where he wasn't supposed to be. My own story starts in the spring time, at a church conference late at night, when I was supposed to be in bed. Only I wasn't in bed. I was where I wasn't supposed to be, up with friends, breaking our curfew. My story continues with several of us deciding to get some fresh air and therefore sneaking out a second floor window. Again where I wasn't supposed to be.
Already several U-Turns have been made available. If only King David went off to war. If only I went off to bed. If only King David took a walk in his front yard, back yard, side yard, or court yard. If only I got some fresh air by opening a window and staying in doors.
Both stories continue with something that started so innocently turning bad. King David once upon his roof notices a "very beautiful" woman bathing (read naked). He finds out she's the wife of Uriah the Hittite, calls for her and ends up sleeping with the woman. It started out with a walk for fresh air and turned into adultery! My own story started out so innocently, just getting some air, but soon we found ourselves in a courtyard. From there we noticed all the benches were chained to the ground...except one! It was only a matter of moments before we were moving said bench into a road. It all started so innocently.
Again it doesn't take a master of perception to recognize the U-Turns made available in our two stories. If David looks, realizes what he's seeing and leaves his roof, or if he finds out she's married and it ends there, or even if he just calls her over to his place, but doesn't sleep with her. Likewise if only we didn't go into that courtyard, or if we didn't realize all but one bench were chained down, or even if we just left the unchained bench where it was.
Of course both stories go from bad to worse when the two men are confronted with the consequences of their actions. The first words David hears from Bathsheba after their encounter are "I'm pregnant". Immediately David decides to cover up what he has done. He calls for Bathsheba's husband, tries several ways to get him to sleep with his own wife, and when that fails, he has the poor guy killed. From bad to worse, from simply being an adulterer to now being a murderer and an adulterer! The first words I heard after moving the bench were "Stop right there!" The next words I heard were "Run. Cops!" I followed the second. I ran instead of staying. My friend who stayed got a stern talking to and then was sent back to bed. I ran away from the dorm instead of toward it. The friend who ran to the dorm went back to his room and to bed. No I was now not only running from campus security and Scranton Police, I was also lost in the middle of the city of Scranton!
If only David and I had paid attention to the U-Turns provided for us throughout these stories. If only we had taken one of them. So as not to leave you hanging, my story concluded with police on my left, police on my right, and pretty much cops all around me! I quickly confessed my crime, apologized profusely, and swore to never do such a thing again. It was funny, because the police believed me, took pity on a dumb kid, and sent me back to my dorm with all forgiven!
The same ending is available to all of us, for all of our stories. No matter how much you feel like you're trapped in the course you've gotten yourself stuck on. No matter how much you think you can't turn back now, with God, you always can! It's called Repentance, and it's the ultimate U-Turn. You simply need to admit what you've done, say you're sorry, really mean it, and try not to do it again. It's that simple. You're story can end as mine did, by getting back on the right track. Or your story could end much sooner, with much less drama, if you choose to take any one of the many U-Turns that God provides throughout the journey!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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