At the end of yesterday’s blog, I shared with you that I had the responsibility of keeping my grandson, Peyton, all by myself. Well, the final thing I had to do was prepare him for bed. This meant the “final diaper change” for the evening plus putting his pajamas on him. I am task-oriented and did just that. I noticed as I was placing the diaper on, I was having a real struggle. In fact, it took me at least three minutes to get it accomplished! I turned it one way and then turned it another while he was laying there smiling and laughing at me. Finally, I accomplished the task within five minutes of Josh and Kate walking in the door with some friends.

Yesterday I received an email from Kate thanking me for starting her day with a laugh: I had put the diaper on the wrong way! Now I understand why I could not figure out how to get it secured around his legs. Of course, my question flooded back with an apology: Did he leak? Was there a problem? Fortunately, after about 12 hours, there was no leakage and all circulation had been maintained in his legs! Thank God!

Poor Peyton had to sleep with his diaper on the wrong way . . . no wonder he was smiling and laughing at me while I was hurriedly trying to get it done, knowing they were walking in the door shortly. Therefore, I want to insure you, that the next time I am with Peyton, Kate, Jeana, and Mona (the other grandmother, if she is around), I will be taking a class, “Diaper Changing 101.”

This true story represents so much of what we do many times in life: We do the right thing, but in the wrong way! My intention was good. I accomplished what needed to be done. The people involved survived. Yet it was done in the wrong way.

Years ago someone taught me a spiritual lesson: If Satan cannot get you to do the wrong thing, he will get you to do the right thing in the wrong way. Now Satan had nothing to do with the illustration above about the mistake in the diaper change; however, in so many other areas, this spiritual lesson is so true. As I look back on my life and evaluate how many times I did the right thing, BUT in the wrong way, I am shameful. There were probably people I offended and did not even know it! There were mistakes made I had no knowledge of. You know – get the task accomplished! Isn’t that the most important thing anyway? Not always!

Diaper change mistakes . . . no big deal. But the other mistakes . . . another story. Be careful today and all this weekend. Be sure that you not only do the right thing, but do it in the right way. It is one thing to say “oops over a diaper change,” but “oops is not good enough” with “relational matters.”

Don’t cut off the “Relationship Circulation” with anyone this weekend.