895) One thing I love about my job as a language arts teacher is for some grades, I can choose books for my classes to read and dissect. One such book, that I highly recommend (and, yes, many middle grade books are worth reading) is, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. There is so much within the pages of this wonderful book, but I want to focus on its theme and that is, people are not just all good or all bad; we are all a combination of both.

We see this truth in Mark 14:66-72. Here we find the record of Peter at his worst. When confronted with the fact that he was one of Jesus’ disciples, he vehemently denies it three times. Afterward, Peter breaks down, probably feeling like Jesus would never forgive him and yet, he was forgiven.

This is such an important truth. Yes, we do good things–some of us do many of them and yes; we do bad things, but no matter what we do or don’t do, God still loves us and forgives us just as Jesus did Peter. Is this because we deserve it? No, but God gives it anyway.