I’m all about a bargain.
I shop with coupons, store rewards and still get excited any time I find a penny, nickel or dime on the ground — or discover paper currency in my pocket unexpectedly.
Like many of you, I appreciate the value of a dollar, and making money go as far as possible.
So every once in awhile, it’s important to be reminded where true values lie.
A popular convenience store offers a subscription for coffee or soft drinks — pay a monthly fee and get one free every day. It’s a simple pleasure but I enjoy going in and cashing in on my deal. After all, it’s already been paid for.
Likewise, our two sweet kittens, Gray and Snowy, live rent-free in our house in exchange for providing hours of entertainment. Watching this brother-sister duo realize they are free to roam about, play with their toys and perhaps even recognize that they will always be fed and cared for is precious.
It’s been a blessing to watch them grow and come into their own, as they realize it’s their home, too. After all, if we are in a position to give safety and security to anyone else, it can be a reciprocal reward to both the giver and receiver.
This all calls to mind one of my favorite stories I once heard in a Joel Osteen message. Seems there was a very poor man living in England who dreamed of one day coming to America for a better life.
He saved his money for quite a long time, until he finally had enough to purchase a ticket to travel by ship. But only enough to cover his passage and stateroom. Believing he didn’t have enough to pay for his meals, he began to set aside boxes of crackers and plenty of cheese to tide him over for the trip.
During the journey, every time the passengers went to the dining room, the man would quietly sit in a corner, eating his cheese and crackers.
Near the end of the voyage, a traveler who had witnessed this asked the man why he never joined the other passengers at meal time.
The man replied that he only had enough money for the ticket, not for the food.
The other passenger explained that the price of the ticket included all the meals.
“You’ve been missing out on all the food, drinks and privileges you were entitled to,” he told the man.
As Christians, has this ever been your story?
The Bible tells us that Jesus paid the highest price, giving His life that we may have eternity in Heaven. Yet some of us are missing out, settling for the “cheese and crackers” when we’re entitled to the great banquet God promised.
We were not created to settle, to live small or to be less than.
Jesus paid for your ticket, in full. In God’s economy, you already have, and are, “enough.”
He’s already covered our trip fees to Heaven.
All aboard!
Phyllis Moore is a speaker, author and former reporter with the News Argus. She also has a YouTube channel, Phyllisophically Speaking.
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