“I can’t find the truck key,” my husband confessed to me as he came walking back toward the lake where our kids and I waited to load up our kayaks. The day was gorgeous, and we couldn’t resist one more paddle out on Lake Louise before heading home from a weekend of camping and kayaking. His confession triggered an hour of walking slowly and closely retracing his steps in the campground. We checked under vehicles, in the weeds along the roads, and in every nook and cranny we could think of; still nothing produced the key needed to get both our truck and our camper home. The only thing we could figure is that the key had slipped from his pocket somehow while we had been kayaking and now found a new home at the bottom of the lake.  

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We were thankful we had driven two cars camping, so we paid for an extra day to leave our camper and truck parked, since it would be past check-out time. We drove my car two hours and forty-five minutes home to pick up our spare truck key and drove the same distance back to pick up our camper and truck and then back home again. Although it cost us more money and quite a bit more time than we liked, overall, we had a nice day and a safe trip driving all day; which is surprising, because I hate back-tracking. Backing up feels counterproductive. In my mind, if I’m moving forward, I’m making progress. To turn around or back up is to admit defeat, that a mistake has been made. Backing up requires a measure, however small, of humility. This realization feels like an “ouch.”

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Sometimes, turning around is the only way to get where you want to go. This is evidenced in the book of Hosea. To this point, Hosea has reminded Israel of God’s faithfulness, their own sinfulness, the consequences for their unfaithfulness, and God’s merciful response to them. Hosea tells them that God’s perfect love will heal and save them if they will only turn back to Him. In today’s scripture, Hosea commands Israel to turn back to God, confess their wrongdoing, and be grateful for God’s response to their small act of humility. The book concludes with Hosea stating that the wise will understand the importance of turning back, as they will see the Lord’s ways are right. Those who continue in their sin will stumble.  

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We physically could not drive our truck home with our camper that day, so we made the right decision to return home for the extra truck key and back-track to bring all our pieces home. Likewise, sometimes the best and most productive decision we can make is admitting where we’ve gone wrong. My husband’s confession to us was not fun to hear, but only with that confession could we move forward by back-tracking.  

Have you ever tried to gloss over your wrongdoing? Maybe you’ve even said the words, “moving on” or “moving forward” to indicate that you do not want to dwell on your past. I know I am guilty of at least thinking these thoughts. Now, I am not condoning constantly drudging up the past and living in a state of shame, but I do think that we should ensure our “moving on” is from a place of repentance and healing, not glossing over our sinful behavior. Are you “moving on” because you’ve been redeemed, or are you moving on, hoping others forget your mistakes? The problem with this is, most of the time, refusal to admit the sin does not magically make it go away. In fact, it is more likely to fester and get worse without the repentance (or turning back) needed to begin the healing process.  

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Admitting our wrong and confessing it does not come naturally. No one likes to be in the wrong. On the flip side, we likely all have a story of someone whose stubborn arrogance kept them from growing from their mistake. It is frustrating to watch. Maybe this describes you. In Hosea’s words, “Return to the LORD!” Only when we confess and turn back to God can the healing begin.  

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Pray with me: Lord, I know I have sinned and hurt your heart. Help me to turn from my ways that are not what you have for me. Lead me to follow you always. Thank you for your mercy! Amen.