I imagine most of us have at one time or another been guilty of committing a faux pas. Webster’s defines a faux pas as a social blunder. I like the literal translation from the French, a false step.

This has happened to me a number of times during my adult life. The most common mistakes I’ve made are with mistaken identity. I have called people I know by the wrong name. I have made remarks that were innocent, but turned out to be inappropriate.

Most recently, I came up behind someone whom I thought I knew and squeezed their shoulder, only to discover they were a total stranger. To say I was embarrassed is an understatement. I was humiliated, because my blunder was witnessed by several friends.

My inattention to song leaders has caused me to blurt out a familiar song, before they began. All of a sudden, I want to shrink up to a size so no one will notice.

During a worship service, I intended to recognize two students whom I thought were a boy and girl. The choir giggled when I said one was a football player and one was a cheerleader. Someone whispered, “They’re both football players.” Long hair can fool a person.

Solomon wrote, “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Prov. 25:11) I do hope that my faux pas have not been too offensive and that those individuals on whom they have been inflicted will forgive me. I want my words to be apples of gold in pictures of silver.