The First Concern

A few days ago, I witnessed a scene in a grocery store that has stayed with me.

A young mother was standing in the checkout line with three small children. The youngest, perhaps four years old, was helping place items on the conveyor belt. It made me smile. I thought to myself, Boy, you don’t often see those little acts of kindness like you used to. There was a time when it was more commonplace. What a blessing for that young mother—at least he was trying to help.

Everything was going well until he proudly grabbed a large carton of eggs and attempted to lift it with one hand. Before anyone could react, the carton slipped, hit the floor, and exploded into a rather impressive puddle of egg goo and shells.

The little boy froze.

You could see the panic spread across his sweet face as he stared at the mess. He knew he had caused it, and from the look on his face, he was already preparing himself for the disappointment he felt was sure to come.

His mother knelt beside him.

For a moment, I held my breath, expecting a reprimand or lecture, which is more often what I’ve seen in rare moments like this. Instead, she gently put her arm around his shoulders and asked, “Are you hurt?”

The boy shook his head.

“Good,” she said with a smile. “Because these eggs can be replaced.”

The relief on his face was immediate.

A store employee soon arrived with paper towels and a mop. The mess was cleaned up in a matter of minutes. The broken eggs were forgotten almost as quickly as they had fallen.

As I looked on, it occurred to me how often we stand before God feeling much like that little boy. We look down at the mess we’ve made—the poor decisions, missed opportunities, careless words, and failures—and assume God’s first concern is the broken pieces scattered around our feet.

Yet Scripture repeatedly reveals a different picture.

Before addressing the mess, God looks at the person. Before dealing with the failure, He reaches for the heart. His desire is not merely to clean up what is broken, but to restore the one who broke it.

What comfort there is in knowing that our Heavenly Father doesn’t measure our worth by our mistakes. The cross forever settled that question. We matter to Him far more than the things we’ve dropped, damaged, or lost along the way.

God’s mercy stretches beyond what we can see, His faithfulness is unshakable, His righteousness stands like mountains, and His judgments run deeper than the sea. Those who trust in Him find shelter, satisfaction, life, light, and security.

If this Fireside Chat warmed your spirit and sparked fresh resolve to live what you believe, fan that flame with Scripture—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Pull a little closer to the Light, and carry it into the week ahead.

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