The phone rang and I rushed to answer. I looked at the caller ID. It listed the name of a member who had worked on the parsonage, but whom I had not yet gotten to visit with since my arrival. I happily answered.
“I am so glad you called,” I said. “I have been hoping to talk to you.”
The conversation continued for a few minutes and then I thank the individual for the work he had done on the floors. However, the person I was talking with had not worked on the floors. It was someone else entirely. I was very embarrassed. Fortunately, the individual who called is very easy going and forgiving. Still, a lesson learned. Don’t make assumptions about who it is you are talking with.
The same is true in our spiritual lives.