"Made a mess lately?"

Bobby, who’s eight, got up one Saturday morning before his mom and dad and decided to surprise them by making pancakes. So he pulled out the big bowl and spoon, stood up in a chair and took the pancake mix out of the cupboard. As he poured it into the bowl, he spilled some on the floor and on himself.

Then he added some milk—to the bowl and the floor. He cracked a couple of eggs and put them in and dripped yolk on the counter. As he stood there trying to figure out whether he was supposed to put the mix in the oven or on the stove—and how to turn them on—he heard this licking sound. His cat was eating from the mixing bowl! As he shooed her off, he hit the bowl and spilled it all over the counter, the floor, and himself. And just then, his dad walked in.

Bobby’s eyes filled with big, hot tears. He’d just wanted to do something good, not make a mess. And then Bobby’s dad picked him up in a bear hug and said, “I love you, son!”

The next time you make a mess of life, let God love on you.