I like Thursdays as I’m in the city for my part-time studies and enjoy the change. After the first lesson, during the break, I went to my favourite supermarket. Like every week, I went to the refrigerated section, grabbed a cold coffee and made my way to the checkout. Then it happened: SPLASH – the coffee drink falls to the floor and bursts – a huge mess.

I was so embarrassed. I looked for an employee, told him about my mishap and asked for a cloth to wipe up the mess. The man smiled at me and said: ‘No problem, I’ll do it for you.’ I didn’t even have to pay for the broken coffee drink, I can just get a new one. 

Grateful and relieved, I walked back to the study centre with my new coffee drink. On the way, I think about the experience. I feel as if I see Jesus in this man. Jesus, who meets me graciously in my failure, looks at me lovingly and says: ‘I have paid for your failure so that you can live free.

Do you accept his grace in your failure?

Applicable Bible text: Luke 15:11-32