Guidance

"So I just do everything you say, without question, and you promise me things are gonna turn out for the best, huh?"

"You said you wanted guidance."

"Yeah, but something like 'I think you might enjoy this' or 'Make sure you stay away from that' not like 'do exactly what I say.'"

"Listen, you can't expect to come asking me for help and have me not give you the full measure of my help.  That's not how I work."

"Yeah, but I still want the right to decide for myself what I want to do with my life."

"That's always your right.  I'm just telling you that if you really want guidance, really want me to tell you what's best for your life, then you have to trust me and do exactly what I say."

"Okay, fine.  Let's give it a try I guess.  But I maintain my right to refuse."

"Of course you do, but I'm not making any promises about what happens if you don't listen to me, I can only promise what will happen if you do."

"Okay fine."

----

"You told me this would work out!"

"No, I said that if you did it my way it would work out!"

"I did do it your way!"

"Come on now, you can't lie to me.  I saw you go off mission.  You were talking to those people I told you not to talk to, not yet anyway."

"But they were right there.  I saw an opportunity and I took it!"

"But not the one I had lined up for you."

"Okay fine, whatever.  How do I get back on course?"

"So now you actually want to listen to what I have to say."

"Of course I do!"

"Well, your actions a few minutes ago sure had me fooled."

"I'm sorry, okay?  It won't happen again."

"Actually, I'm quite sure it will, but that's beside the point.  This is what I want you to do now..."

----

"Okay, so what went wrong this time, Mr. Smartypants?"

"You didn't listen to me."

"What do you mean I didn't listen to you?  I did exactly what you said to do!"

"Well, kind-of.  I told you to do something you didn't want to do, so you made up some way you could do it your way, convince yourself you were still technically doing what I said, but knowing it wasn't what I meant."

"Well isn't that good enough?"

"No, it isn't."

"But the way you wanted me to go about it was too hard.  My way was easier.  And besides, no one got hurt."

"Except you?"

"Except me.  But you told me not to think so much about myself."

"You shouldn't, but I still want what's best for you.  That's my job is to look out for you.  And besides, just because you don't think anyone else was affected doesn't mean they were."

"Who else was affected?"

"Your colleagues.  They saw what you did and know exactly why you did it.  Some of them really look up to you.  Know they think they can get away with things like that, too, and when one of them does it, it might turn out worse than it did for you."

"So I have to worry about them, too?"

"Well yes, of course you do.  If you're not worrying about yourself so much, who do you think you're supposed to worry about instead?  But if you just do what I say, you won't even have to stress about it, everything will just flow."

"Okay, fine.  Clearly my little tricks are getting me no where.  I guess my only option is to trust you this time."

"I hope that you will."

----

"That was amazing!"

"See what happens when you follow my plan?"

"Yeah I do, I mean, I just can't believe it worked out like that.  It seemed so ridiculous; it didn't make any sense.  But when I went off track before, things turned out worse than I expected so I figured what the heck, I might as well give it a try."

"I'm so glad you did."

"Yeah, me, too.  I mean, if I had realized it would turn out like that, I would have trusted you from the start."

"And you trust me now?"

"Of course I do!  With my whole life!  Tell me whatever and I'll do it."

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah, totally!"

"You mean that now, but I know there will be times again when you won't listen."

"No way; not after seeing what I just saw."

"Trust me, as surely as I led you on the right path just now, you're going to choose the wrong one at some point in the future.  But I'll forgive you."

"Really?  Why would you even keep working with me if you know I'm going to screw up?"

"Because I care for you, love you even."

"Yeah, I've heard this before."

"It's true though.  I love you and I want what's best for you.  I know things won't always go the way you've planned, and you won't always get what you think you want, but I really am looking out for you.  It's what I do with all my children."

"So you really have the time to care for all of us individually and personally, just like you care for me?"

"I invented time.  I can use it however I wish."

"Well okay then.  So you'll tell me how to get the best deal out of life and even when I screw up and don't listen to you, you promise to forgive me and let me try again."

"Always and forever."

"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!  How do I sign up?"

"I think you already have."