I have wandered so far from You—
From Your ways, from Your leading,
From Your purpose, and from Your love.
At first, it didn’t seem like such a great distance,
But, over time, I have come to realize
My wanderings have been far greater
Than I could ever have imagined.
I know I need to return to You,
But now that I see how wide the gap has become,
The way back seems perilously long.
In my reaction to being wounded,
I have behaved in ways that have
Not only injured me but others as well.
I know this is true, and it grieves me.
I am so sorry for having been so hurtful,
Which I acknowledge I had no right to be.
I realize how wayward I have become.
As I begin my long journey back to wholeness,
I know I need to make amends to those
I have harmed along the way.
It never occurred to me that I might have
Treated others in the same way I have been mistreated.
Just thinking about my actions makes my heart ache.
Father, I am grieved because of my behavior.
Forgive me; restore my relationship to You.
Be with me as I reach out to those I have wounded.
Help me learn from my egregious errors, so that
I will never feel the desire to drift so far away again,
Amen.
—Jack Watts