Oh crumbs! Pausing to see the heart

Over a cuppa the other day, a good friend shared a story that really stayed with me. She was in the thick of a chaotic morning – three kids scrambling for school, lunches to pack, hair to fix, and her own work routine pulling her in every direction. In that tension-filled moment, she noticed her youngest toddling over to her handbag and tipping a plate of crumbs into it.

Her first instinct could easily have been anger. But she remembered a simple idea she’d recently been encouraged to try in her parenting: be curious instead of angry. So, she paused, took a breath, and asked gently, “Darling, can you tell me what you just did over there with the plate?”

Her daughter explained she had seen a tiny bug flailing on the kitchen bench. Not wanting to hurt it, she had carefully scooped it onto a plate, then gently carried it to a safe spot (not even realising it tumbled along with the crumbs into mummy’s bag!)

My friend’s heart melted, and with it, the anger she hadn’t even realised was rising. What could have become a tense, explosive moment turned instead into understanding and connection. She affirmed her daughter’s kind act and let the crumbs be – suddenly, they didn’t seem important anymore.

As 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, 

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

By pausing and being curious, we, too, can look beyond the surface and see the good intentions and heart behind actions.

Proverbs 19:11 adds, 

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” 

Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)

In the everyday chaos of life, a moment of pause can transform potential conflict into a moment of grace, connection, and love. Where might God be inviting you to pause, listen and respond with grace today?

This devotion was written by Ginny Png. Ginny is the Administration and Communications Officer for PeaceWise. Ginny and her husband Reuben spent ten years in Singapore, where they had their three children, before moving back to Australia in 2021. She now lives in the Hills area of Sydney and worships at Parramatta Baptist Church with her family.

Ginny is passionate about marriage and family and seeing unity in the body of Christ. She has a heart for prayer and encouragement and is excited to support the unique and crucial ministry of PeaceWise in building peacemakers for life.