"Decide what to be, and go be it..."

The joy of Christmas is a sharp reminder of how joy-less we can be during the other 364 days...

Sure, there are births, marriages, graduations and a number of exciting moments in our year that bring a moment of joy followed by the reality of living with the blessing.  My uncle used to say, "It's not what it costs in the store, but what it costs 5-10 years down the road."  Frankly, my uncle was very cheap and this quote was usually met with the painful reality whatever I was asking for was going to stay on the shelf. (still want a Stretch Armstrong!)

As my age gets closer to where my uncle was at that time, these quotes actually make some sense and when I really think about it, what he was saying was will the purchase retain its value long after the purchase?  He could have just said that and I would have understood, but where is the drama in that quote walking out the door and waving his hand to hurry me up to the truck.  A truck he drove until he died, by the way.

He was full of quotes about money.  Simple and to the point, but now such a part of me.  Another related to how the cost of an item related to how long you should maintain it.  "If something costs more than $100, there's a part that will fix it, you don't need a new one!"  This too was a part of that long-lasting value we had to consider if we were going to buy something.  And when we bought something, we paid cash.  "If it's something you really need, you'll have the cash to buy it.  Credit means you want it, not need it."

Back to Christmas...

That joyless 364 may relate to the fact we miss the value of the price paid "in cash" for us.  Yes, God paid in the most valuable commodity He had...His Son.  The value of that purchase is just as valuable today as it was the day He was nailed to the cross.  Just like my uncle said, anything that costs that much can be fixed to retain the value.  Each of us is a working part of the Body of Christ.  Each of us needs a "tweak" now and then.  Sometimes we need to be rebuilt, but we are never discarded.  The value God has placed upon us is the life of His Son.  While the value of the dollar, yen, ruble, etc. may move, the value of salvation has remained constant.  I have 220,000 miles on a 1995 Chevy pick-up right now and that is a drop in the bucket compared to eternity.  That truck is special to me, and I will do/spend whatever it takes to keep it running.  It makes me upset at times, it gives me joy to think about its history and how long it has taken care of members of my family and there are times when I use others to get it back up and running.  Never do I think of letting it go.

The truck has no feelings, so there is no chance for it to thank me, or say, "Wow, you really care about me!", but I do.  That truck has a value I cannot measure...not the level I have for my family, but you know what I mean.  I would like to believe if my truck could talk, it would be happy there is someone looking out for it.  Taking care of it even when it doesn't realize it needs help.  Telling other vehicles how happy it is knowing there is nothing that could break I would not fix.

My uncle gave me my first Bible.  He was a grump and did not spend a lot of time "sugar-coating" things. He told me what I needed to know, what I should know, and how to find out what I should know.  That Bible was with him for almost his entire life, except the part he trusted me to take care of it.  When he gave it to me, there were notes scribbled, names of people that needed prayer, birthdays of kids, adults and people I never knew.  There were dates of funerals for family and friends.  His life was in that Bible.  He understood the value of his purchase.  I gave his Bible back when I purchased my own because his had done the job.  The moment I realized the purchase had been made for me, I knew it was time to start my life in my own book.  When I gave his back, he left me with what is my favorite lesson...

"Now that you have your own book to fill, remember this: you will make mistakes, some small and some big.  You will have success and joy in your life. In all of this, you will be loved and forgiven.  You were bought by the Blood."

I have truly made mistakes, big and small.  I have truly had joy in my life.  My uncle remembered that joy daily...I still need some tweaking.

I miss him