The Pop Tart

My almost 3 year old son brought me a package of pop tarts. "I want pop tart, mommy!" As I took the shiny package from him, I could tell the pop tarts had been through several children's hands, possibly stepped on and thrown around too. Broken pieces could be felt over the bigger pieces. The tarts were not solid, but felt flimsy and soft.

"This will be a mess..." I thought to myself. I considered throwing the package away and attempting to find an alternative. His adorable upturned face and hands clasped in anticipation made me reconsider. As I carefully opened the package, I expected a million pieces to scatter all over the floor.

But they didn't.

In fact, a whole- all be it beat up- pop tart emerged from the packaging. Both pop tarts, though badly cracked with pieces missing off the corners, and certainly not in pristine condition, were still held together somehow.

I carefully removed the top tart and laid it on a plate. My son didn't see the cracks in the colorful pastry. He saw something he wanted being handed to him. His expectation for a yummy snack was met, not because of appearances, but because the snack was still the same as it would've been before being tossed around by three of my kids. It's current condition didn't sway his enthusiasm for it. He proudly took the plate from me and ran into the living room where its brokenness was used to his advantage. He could take a piece at a time and run around between bites, truly a perfect snack for an almost three year old!

What if we treated people the same way my son treated the pop tart? What if, despite our own brokenness and the brokenness of those around us, we took joy in one another, as my son took joy in his treat? What if we looked at the brokenness and saw hope and an opportunity instead of discarding what we perceive to be imperfect or beyond hope? Had I felt that package and based my giving him a snack on the condition of the snack, he would've been crushed more than the pop tart was. I would have had a crumbling toddler and would have needed to find an alternative. But I opened the package. Even in brokenness, we all have something we can give. We can always choose to open the package instead of throwing it away. And sometimes, our brokenness opens up possibilities we would have never had if we were whole.

Mary, Our Mother, Pray For Us.