Upside Down…
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. (John 1:16)
A friend of mine Eric and his dad Abe owned a local Dairy Queen together. After a good conversation at the Rotary Club one day, Abe slid his business card my way so I could call him later. The back of his card included the DQ logo, his store address, and the text “One Free Blizzard, Any Size.”
“Well this is nice of him,” I thought. Then I looked up to see Abe grin as he declared, “You don’t have to turn it in after you use it, you know.”
“Huh? You mean that I can use it again and again?” This all seemed too good to be true. Why would he give me unlimited Blizzards?
My skepticism remained as I pulled up to the drive-through a week later and confidently requested my large Oreo Blizzard.
My nervousness grew as I rolled up to the pimple-faced young man awaiting me through the window. I held my card several feet away from him and shakily said, “Abe gave me this. He said that I don’t have to hand it in?”
Before I even finished my sentence, the treat was upside down and then in my hand. Clearly, I was not the only person to ever receive the magic Blizzard card.
After the initial transaction, I rarely used the card. I think I did not use it because I felt undeserving. It was not logical for me to get unlimited Blizzards
In life, we expect transactions to be equal. We get upset when we feel ripped off. When we receive more than we pay for, we often feel confused and undeserving. This could explain why it can be difficult for us to accept the unlimited grace Jesus gives us.
In Jesus’s economy, financial transactions often don’t seem to make sense. Or at least we have a very difficult time understanding them with our limited perspective.
He is giving you and me far more than we deserve. You have an Unlimited Grace card in your wallet. How often will you use it?
Lord Jesus, help me to feel the boundless grace You lavish on me daily. Help me to truly feel it and extend it to others.
