Finding Reverse

Stuck in drive

When visiting Rome recently, we borrowed a friend’s car to drive out of the city for a day. Everything was going fine (despite the fact that Roman drivers ignore the lane markings!), until we turned down a one way street the wrong way. Another car, traveling in the right direction, stopped, waiting for us to move. At this point, we discovered that we couldn’t find the reverse on the car. We tried so hard to get the gear stick over to reverse, we even pulled the whole gear stick off! Eventually we drove forward up on to the sidewalk and asked someone to help us.

Being able to reverse in relationships is important

Too many relationships are sabotaged because we dig our heels in and refuse to budge. We’re sometimes more attached to our point of view than we are to the person with whom we fell in love. Most of us fear the humiliation or loss of face that comes with admitting a mistake or apologizing.

We once read a quote from one of Australia’s young business leaders along the lines of “I never say sorry. And I never give in. Apology is for the weak. If you want to get ahead, you have to keep moving forward and not look back with regret”. Wow, what a loser! It takes far more courage and integrity to admit when we are wrong and make amends for our mistakes, than it does to write-off the person we offended.

Pride is powerful, but humility is more powerful still

Cultivate the habit of humility. Each evening, do a stock-take on your day. Ask yourself: ‘When have I failed to communicate love to my spouse?’ Humbly ask forgiveness, if not of your spouse, then at least of God.