I’ve been in the process of going through my vast music collection and designating some of my CDs for either donation to Goodwill or trading at McKay’s. Among those I picked to go was an old Rhett Miller CD.

I had convinced myself that I only liked one song on the whole album and to keep a CD for one song wasn’t worth it. Then I had the brilliant idea of giving the CD a go in my car CD player.

I was surprised in a good way. I really liked what I heard, and not just the one song. Rhett has been saved from the musical trash heap.

I’ve done that with other things, too. I’ve done that with people. There have been people who at first rubbed me the wrong way. My first impression was not a favorable one. Thankfully, it was also a false one.

Some of the best people I know were those who I didn’t like at first. Maybe they changed. Maybe I did. Or maybe I finally had a chance to really see the person for who they were and not who I needed or wanted them to be.

The point of all this pontification is that we shouldn’t give up so easily on people. For me, I think I should be as willing to give up on someone as God was to give up on me.

I’ve had some people write me off in the past. I’m sure you have, too. I may have given up on some people too soon. So many of us have written ourselves off. I’ve even come perilously close to giving up on God.

The good news is that God’s not about to give up on me or you. God won’t write us off. In fact, God has us written on His heart. God has a white tablet with our new names written on it. That sounds pretty permanent to me.

As for that Goodwill collection, one day it will acutally make it to Goodwill. Maybe before CDs go obsolete. But you and I will never lose our value or worth because God won’t change His mind about how He feels about us.

That’s a good thing.