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Approaching the pump island, another car came toward me, both of us headed for the same row of pumps. Since I was making the right turn, I got to pull in first. Credit card in hand, I proceeded to the pump as I've done hundreds of times. The screen said, "$55 prepaid. Lift nozzle and select grade." Baffled, I looked around. Everyone at the station was at a tank, pumping gas. No one was waiting in the wings.
"Really?" I thought, "Free gas? Nah." I pushed the button to ask the clerk. She seemed confused. "It's prepaid. Go ahead and pump." She didn't seem to care that I hadn't been the one to prepay it. I asked again, "Are you sure I can have this gas?" "Yes," she replied, "It's paid in full. Go ahead and pump." I heard a hint of, "Wow... this lady doesn't understand how gas pumps work."
There was no, "Jesus loves you." OR "Someone came in and wanted to pay it forward." Just... "It's paid in full.... (now leave me alone)."
So, I pumped, expecting alarm bells and police cruisers to appear. Nothing happened. The pump quit at $34.14. I smiled to myself as I realized someone else would also be blessed... in a strange way. I replaced the cap, closed the little door, pulled out of the station -- unnoticed. I finished my errands, the whole time expecting to be stopped by the police. Handcuffed. Sent to jail.
It's been a few days and still no police. I think I really was allowed to use that free gas, though it's the strangest blessing ever!
Ever since, I have also been thinking that many of us approach Christianity this same way. Jesus paid in full the required sacrifice for our sins, but we can't really fathom it. We wonder, "What's the catch?" "Who's out there watching me to mess up?" OR "If I accept Jesus, I won't ever have fun again." We miss the blessing and focus on other, irrelevant stuff.
Accepting Jesus is a simple thing that we make hard. Really. First, He loves you enough to pay the price in full. No strings. No one waiting in the wings to bust you for making a mistake. Seriously, God doesn't have angel cops out there waiting for you to mess it all up so he can throw you into some pit of damnation. He just loves you.
Second, God wants you to receive this blessing with all your heart -- no worries about other things. Just be thankful. Otherwise, you miss out on what you've been given, new life IN CHRIST that is infinitely better than the old, sinful life.
Third, you can have fun! YES, true Christian living means not getting drunk, not sinning in anger, and more... but Christian living replaces all that with true peace -- you can lay your head on your pillow at night knowing that you matter. Christian living is true joy -- a heart full of things you can't imagine without Jesus. God's love is true love -- knowing you, with all your warts, secrets, and skeletons. 100%. All the time.
Jesus paid in full the required sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. He's got us covered. We can accept it and live in that joy... Or, we can reject it and look over our shoulder the rest of our lives and miss the blessing.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide.
I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord."
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Where are you today?
P.S. To the generous person who bought my gas. Thank you!!!
11 comments:
That is really cool. I would be so like you, "I I can pump?? ARE you sure??" lol
That was a great analogy too! :)
What a great example! I would have hesitated too.
What a blessing! Our church does something like that in the summer as part of the VBS program for older kids. They take a day and hand out free bottles of water around town on street corners. They go to a few gas stations and wash windows and randomly pay for gas. They hold a carwash with signs that say "Carwash $1." They wash the car then pay the driver $1. I think that all is just so cool!
Audra,
I LOVE IT!!! Paying people to wash their cars. That takes church car washes to a whole new level. :)
Blessings.
Love the example. I have to work on re-forgiving myself many times and remind myself that if God forgave me there is no reason for me to not forgive myself.
Your post put a smile on my face! I'd have been wondering too! It is fun to make someone's day like that. Oh and I am so thankful that Jesus paid in full for me! Blessings
Paid in full. Why is it that we question that at times? Why do we slip back into old habits of trying to prove ourselves worthy to God? So thankful we're paid in full!
And you could probably use the budget boost with a soon to be college freshman - ha!
Shannon, too funny! Yes, any budget boost is a blessing... though that half tank of gas is long gone already. :(
FYI: Orientation is June 18-19. We leave Father's Day bright and early, leaving dad at home with the younger two. Hardly seems fair to dad!!!
Blessings!
Awesome post, Karen! :o)
Great post, Karen. And I love Audra's carwash idea!
What a gonga? You should have gone and played the lottery;)
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