Summary: The sound of breaking glass brought Dylan running into the dining room. "Oh, Megan!" he gasped. "Look what you've done!" Megan stared in horror at the shattered pieces of crystal on the floor. "That's the vase Uncle Don gave Mom just before he died!" Dylan exclaimed. "Boy, will she be mad!" "I . . . I . . . c-c-couldn't help it," said Megan nervously. "I . . ." "What's the matter?" Both children jumped at the sound of their mother's voice. A look of sorrow spread over her face as she saw what had happened. Megan burst into sobs. "I d-d-didn't mean to break it, Mom. I was just looking for a pencil, and it . . . Oh! I'm s-s-so sorry." Mom put an arm around Megan. "There, there, honey. Don't cry!" "She'll have to buy you another one, won't she?" asked Dylan. "It'll probably take all her savings to replace it." "No," Mom said sadly. "Some things can't be replaced, and this is one of them." "Then are you going to ground her?" Dylan wanted to know. Mom shook her head. "Spank her?" was Dylan's next question. When Mom shook her head again, Dylan frowned. "Aren't you going to punish her at all?" he asked. "No," said Mom. "I'm going to show her mercy. Megan has already learned that she needs to be more careful, and she's shown me that she's very sorry about what happened." Dylan shrugged in disgust. "If I had broken the vase, I wouldn't have been able to have any fun for a week!" he grumbled. "That's not true, Dylan!" said Mom. She shook her head. "Don't be jealous when mercy is shown to someone else,"she advised. "It's something for which we should all be very grateful. Except for the mercy of God, we would all receive the eternal punishment we deserve. So thank God for His mercy. Be glad when others are merciful, too. Who knows--tomorrow you may again need someone to show mercy to you." As Dylan was thinking about this, Megan got the broom and dust pan. "I'll get the trash can," Dylan decided. "I can help you." How About You? Do you grumble when a guilty person is allowed to go unpunished? When that happens, the person is receiving mercy instead of what he or she deserves. If he's sorry for doing something wrong, it shouldn't make you angry that he is forgiven. No doubt you haven't always gotten what you deserved, either. God, who is very merciful, wants you to love mercy--even when it's given to others. Remember . . . you never know when you will again need it yourself. Today's Key Verse: What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Today's Key Thought: Love mercy
