Cracker Jacks

When we walk down the aisles of a grocery store, we look at the products, and we assume that what’s on the label is what’s in the package.  Yet, when we go into someone’s workshop and see the multitude of containers like cans of coffee and jars of peanut butter, our immediate thought is not, “Wow!  This place is like a grocery store!”  Instead, we assume that there are nails, screws, etc. in these containers.

More often than not, when I meet someone and discover something about them, I immediately label them and see them like a product in the grocery aisle.  I know who they are and what to expect because I know their brand.

In many ways, we are all alike.  We are mortal.  We are fragile.  We are flawed.  I am so glad that when I read about Jesus, He does not treat people as something that are defective, decaying, or tainted.  Instead, in every interaction, I feel like Jesus is opening a box of “Cracker Jacks,” expecting a surprise in every box!

May we all be more like Jesus, who sees something valuable and precious in us.  LORD, help us to see the treasure in this jar of clay.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.