Mrs. Richardson seemed startled by what had just happened. She didn’t seem prepared for what I had just done. As a small boy of five or so, she had taken me on a new adventure. It was to gather eggs in the chicken coop. With a tin water pail in her hand, she was prepared for me to place the eggs in the bottom of it as we moved from nest to nest. Only that is not what happened. I didn’t place the egg in the water pail. I dropped it! It was an innocent act. I had no idea that the egg would break and spread its yellow and white nourishment over the bottom of the water pail. I’m not sure I realized what I had done wrong even after I had done it.

The memory of the egg gathering adventure is a very faint one. But the surprised look on Mrs. Richardson’s face was unforgettable. Even more unforgettable was the laughter from my mom and dad and their friends when they heard of my innocent mistake. I had done the unexpected, and I feel sure that Mrs. Richardson was glad she had not entrusted me to gather all of her eggs in that bucket.

From the egg gathering experience it has always been easy for me to understand the principle of putting all of one’s eggs in more than one basket. The principle offers sound investment advice. For the preservation of material things diversity is usually a good idea. But diversity is not the rule to gain eternal life. There is but one basket for us to place our lives—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6)

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

It is a question we all must answer. And if the answer is yes, your life is placed in the right basket.