Back on Track

One of the very first words I picked up when I moved to New York City back in 2017 was the word “commuter.” If you’ve lived in or around this city, you know exactly what it means. A commuter is someone who’s always on the move. They wake up early, grab their coffee, and head to the train, bus, or subway. Rain or shine, snow or summer—they’re going. They have somewhere to be.

I remember one morning, in my early days in the city, I got on the wrong train. I was supposed to be going downtown, but the train started heading uptown. For a moment, I panicked. I felt confused and disoriented. But then it hit me: there’s always a way back. I simply got off at the next stop, crossed the platform, and caught the train going the right way.

Life is often the same. Sometimes we find ourselves on the wrong train. We don’t intend to go the wrong way. We think we’re heading in the right direction, but then we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory—spiritually, emotionally, morally. We look around and wonder, How did I end up here? We didn’t mean to get lost. And now we feel stuck, ashamed, or afraid.

But here’s the Good News of the Gospel: God allows U-turns. There’s a word for it in the original Greek of the New Testament: Metanoia, translated into English as repentance. It means more than just feeling sorry. It means more than regret. It means a change of mind, a change of direction. A spiritual U-turn.

Jesus said in Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He didn’t come for those who have it all together. He didn’t come for those who think they’ve never made a mistake. He came for the hurting. He came for the lost. He came for the commuter who got on the wrong train. He came for us.

Friends, let today be your turning point. Maybe you've been riding the wrong train, going the wrong direction. But it only takes one stop, one decision, to turn it around. Don’t waste another mile on the wrong train. Don’t keep heading in the wrong direction just because you’ve been on it for so long. God allows U-turns. Make yours today.