My husband and I just returned from a six day trip.  We were in the car for 13 days of it - or at least it SEEMED that way.  Morehead to Cadiz to see a brother; Cadiz to Joplin, Missouri where I preached at an ordination; Joplin to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see a granddaughter - oh, and the two adults she lives with :-) -; then back to Morehead via a length of road we lovingly referred to as Orange Barrel Highway.
     For most of our journey Leon knew the way to go; he is almost savant in his ability to remember a route having only driven it once, 13 years ago, AND in his ability to figure out the way to go without ever having been somewhere before.  But on a few occasions, we relied upon Samantha.  Samantha is the given name of our Garmin GPS.  Her voice is a lovely combination of pleasant and SLIGHTLY condescending.  We used her directional expertise a couple of times in areas of traffic construction.  She would tell us to turn right at a juncture that was completely blocked by barrels, and when we did not we saw that word: Rerouting..... Then she would give us another direction.  
     Sometimes a person will come into my office with questions about their life; often one of them will be centered around why a word of apology hasn't changed things, or why their life is in a loop of poor choices.  Here's the thing: maybe our technological advances have led us to believe that when we are in a bad or awkward place we can simply push a button and go another way.  A truly felt and sincerely accepted apology is a wonderful thing; however, it may not change what has occurred.  A real and serious repentant heart and change of mind can absolutely change a life - but nonetheless we will still have to deal with what happened up to that point.  Regardless of anything else, we deal with the consequences of our actions.
     The wonderful new is, of course, that we can deal with them in new ways.  A life turned around is still a life turned around - even if we can't have 'do-overs'.  We CAN reroute, though it may take us through rough patches.  Getting our lives in tune with God and God's Word can help us reroute our lives.  Being with others in a faith community who have been on the road before can help us plan our course.  Spending time in prayer and meditation can help us prepare and anticipate bad choices.  Rerouting: it's a good thing.

     A number of years ago, I was in a life situation that felt out of control.  I was hanging on by a thread. I took the time and the effort (and the money, which was hard to come by at that time) to see a counselor.  We worked together for a while, and things got better, and I slowed down, and it all turned out well.
     Okay, that's not much of a story, is it?  I'm not going to spill my guts about what was going on, but I thought I would pass along a few things the counselor gave me - life changing habits - that I still use today.  If they help you, great; if they don't, maybe they will help someone you know.
     1) use more analog clocks.  Remember those?  He pointed out that '3.57' sounds much more harsh than 'a little before 4'.  Plus, you can watch the hands going around.  That can be soothing.  And, most rooms don't need more than one clock. 
     2) Have only one calendar in the house; put everything on it.  Having a calendar in each bedroom, another in the kitchen, PLUS one on every iphone in the household only means multiple ways of forgetting something. 
     3) Move 27 things every day.  Now, he told me this was originally a Buddhist practice; I dunno.  But the thought is that by moving things each day, you can change the energy in a room, stay uncluttered, throw more things away, or find that other remote.  (Okay, I made the last one up, but you get the point). And at the end of a day when I have made little or no progress on anything in my life - well, I moved 27 things.
     4) Count to 10 before you answer any question.  He told me to watch a beauty pageant, and notice how, when the interview segment occurs, the candidate will often repeat the question back to the interviewer.  That does a couple of things: it makes sure the question was heard correctly, AND it buys time.  
     5) Practice saying to yourself, "I am not alone".  Believe me, in my worst times, saying that was salvific.  It was a wonderful reminder that God's presence was alway with me, felt or unfelt, even wanted or unwanted.  It gave me strength, and caused me to try to be at my best.  It still does.

     I love Anne Lamott.  Her books and essays are always a wonderful treasure to me; reading her is like being in conversation with a trusted - and at times, hysterically funny - friend.  A tweet from her last week stopped me in my tracks; she suggested following the acronym WAIT: Why Am I Talking?
     What a great thing to put on our spiritual and psychological tool belt.  When we are in great confusion or anxiety, and pouring out our frustration and anger to God, perhaps we should WAIT, and ask ourselves why are we talking.  Perhaps we should be listening.
     Perhaps we need to remember to WAIT when we are in a conversation with someone else, and we realize that we are not truly paying attention, but merely waiting for the other person to take a breath and thus allow us to jump in.
     Maybe when we are upset with someone who has wronged us or disappointed us, we need to WAIT to hear their side of the story before making a judgment.
     Could it be that you are one of those folks who can't stand silence and will ramble on about nothing rather than let quiet be a part of the situation?
     The hope is, of course, that by talking less and listening more (or simply being quiet) we will hear what is truly essential - the sound of God's love, the Word made flesh, the beauty of God's creation, the beating of our own hearts.