"When You Are the Wrong Guy" - by Rev. Weldon Bares
- Rev. Weldon Bares
- Oct 27
- 2 min read
I don’t mean to sound sanctimonious, but I always try to stick to the speed limit. Some time ago, I had to drive from Lake Charles to Shreveport. As I passed through a small town, the speed limit dropped from 65 miles per hour to 40. I saw it coming, so I slowed down and set my cruise control to the correct speed.
A few minutes later, I noticed a police car coming from the opposite direction, maybe half a mile up the road. About that time, an 18-wheeler came flying past me on the four-lane highway, going at least 15 miles over the limit.
After we passed each other, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the police officer make a U-turn, lights flashing. I thought, “Good — he’s going after that truck.” But no — he wasn’t going after the 18-wheeler. He was coming after me.
I couldn’t believe it. When he walked up, I said, “Officer, are you stopping me?” He said, “Yes, sir, you were speeding.” I replied, “No, sir, I was not speeding. I had my cruise control set exactly at 40 miles an hour. You must have caught the truck that passed me.”
He shook his head. “No sir, the radar was on you. You were speeding.”
I tried again: “I promise you, I wasn’t speeding. You’ve got the wrong guy.” He took my license and insurance, went back to his car, then finally returned and said, “Alright, I’ll let you go this time, but slow it down.”
Have you ever been the “wrong guy”? Being the “wrong guy” is not easy, that’s for sure. But those moments can really shape our character. They can deepen our faith. Those moments remind us to rely on God’s justice, not our own, and to always show God’s patience and mercy in how we respond.
P.S. Always show respect - and don’t speed!
Reading the post by Rev. Weldon Bares titled When You Are the Wrong Guy really struck a chord it’s about being miscast in circumstances and how we pivot. In that same moment I found myself thinking about how students might wish for a WGU test out of course option when they feel out of step but ready to prove their understanding and move ahead. It’s a thoughtful reminder that timing and role matter whether in life or in learning.