This morning, our temporary helper accidentally tipped off  and broke a figurine display on our side table while she was vacuuming the screens. Okay first, our helper is not only new but she is also temporary. And just this morning she told me that she wants to leave before the end of the month. So she pretty much was not on my good side this morning to begin with. Second, that figurine was very very important to me. It was a gift from one of the dearest and closest friends I have. She bought it when she went to Hawaii, during my wedding year. It was a wedding figurine. Anyway, I am a minimalist and I do not like clutter. But this is one piece I display at home because it is special and I love it.

When I heard something broke and I saw it on the floor shattered into pieces. I blurted out, “Oh no! That was important to me! ” In my head, I was shouting. In my head, I was already coming up with words that want to vividly say how I feel and how much I am disappointed at her and how much I am not liking her at that moment. Oh how I wanted to snap and shout! In that moment too, I was faced with a choice and I had to decide. What is more valuable: the person I am dealing with right now or the thing that just broke. I knew at that instant that it was a test. I had to decide whether people (even my least favorite ones) are more valuable than my possessions (even my most treasured ones).

Precious Broken Figurine

Right after I picked up the remnants of what broke and helped clean up the mess, I went back to the playroom where my daughter is. She was seated on my chair and playing with the objects on my desk. I was about to resume my daily devotional and quiet time, I saw a page of my bible highlighted in circles. The whole page! And this was the bible that JA got for me as one of his gifts on our first Christmas together. And I have kept this one clean and intact compared to my other ones. I told Andi “Oh no sweetheart, you wrote on mommy’s bible…” As much as I wanted to get stressed and worked up about it, I just chose to laugh about the whole thing (even though I was really feeling sad).

(Did I mention that both of these incidents happened while I was reading God’s word and praying? —That’s God’s sense of humor.)

I texted my friend Carla and told her that the figurine she gave me broke and I do not think it can be repaired. (Although JA said he will try. What a nice husband I have! I know he was just trying to pacify me) I told her two things: 1st: that I will keep the heads 2nd: that this is what my blog will be about today that people are more valuable than possessions. Obviously this was what God was teaching me, or maybe He was asking me to apply what is right.

I could have shouted at our helper when she broke my figurine and what I could have said may have disheartened her or even hurt her.

I could have snapped at my daughter because I was frustrated at what she did, but what I could have said may have damaged her. And I would have eventually regretted it.

I could have, but I chose not to. And thank God He gave me the grace to do what was right.

You see I cannot confess that I love God and not love others. I cannot follow Jesus and not value what He values.

People are more valuable than material things. You know how I know? Because Jesus loved people so much that He died for them to save them and have a relationship with them. Therefore, I too should love even when it is not easy to or even when I do not want to.

It is 8:25 pm right now and I am finishing the blog that I have started this afternoon. Just an hour ago, Rosette, our household help, the new one who broke my precious figurine told me that she wants to leave this Friday! Yes, she is the one I do not want to love (Andi my daughter regardless of what she does is easy to love because she is my child), but with God’s grace I choose to anyway. I choose to see her the way God sees her. And yes, she is valuable. Much much more than anything I own.