Did you ever go on one of those classic school daytrips to a theme park? When you’re raking in the house points/credits, you know you’re on the list for the rollercoaster-bound coach trip. Nice. Question. Did you have that mate? The one whose mum had sent them off with leftovers for a packed lunch. Sweetcorn and carrot sandwiches, or something similar. You know the story, and it ends with a whole lot of sick.
We can feel like our mistakes cling to the front of our jumper, for all the world to see. But when we feel like we’ve messed up, and disappointed people, God has his arms wide open. We could imagine Him as a parent, waiting at the school gates for the kids to return. When He sees His kid’s upset, He wants to hug His child despite the messy jumper. You might be familiar with the parable of the lost son (Luke 15) and can see the link we’re working with here. Basically, what we’re getting at is the fact that God is willing to get involved in our mess, even when we feel covered in our mistakes.
He will always run to embrace us, even when we’ve covered ourselves in not-so-sweet-smelling stuff. Now, to bring it home, take a look at today’s verse. We’re called to show the same love to each other. Especially because we’re all prone to messing up. Showing people we care for them, even when they’ve messed up, is a calling for us.

What Now?
If you know someone who’s been struggling in some way recently, drop them a message, even just to ask how they are. Letting someone know you’re there is a bigger step than it might first seem.