One Last Time 01/24/2010
 
As I stand in my kitchen preparing Sunday dinner for my family, my hunger is rapidly growing as the smell of a roast is simmering in the crock pot, corn bread in the oven and sweet peas and brown rice on the stove.  “YUMMY!” I lift the lid of the crock pot to spot check the roast, this thought goes through my mind.  “Ah, one last meal with meat before our church starts a 21 day Daniel Fast tomorrow.”  As quickly as the thought comes to me, this thought comes, “That’s how my people look at sin.”  I said, what do you mean God? 


The comparison is this:  the fast is equivalent to a life with God, a life of things of God, a commitment to live for Him.  The meat is equivalent to sin.  People choose to partake of sin one last time before they begin a journey with God much like we are partaking of meat one last time before the fast begins.  The problem is this:  that one last, tantalizing partaking is never enough and often times, the one last time turns into a lifetime.  The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death and while our intention was to only partake one last time, we end up entangled in our sin. 


We fail to see the dangers of sin and therefore, we justify our longing for one last time.  I guess it comes down to this:  we wanted to eat the meat today because we knew we would be without it for the next 21 days.  It was totally to satisfy our fleshly desire…..and that’s what sin is all about. 

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Recently I was reminded of S&H Green Stamps.  Ah, yes back in the day when you could get something without money.  Even though you had to spend money to get the stamps; who cared?  I remember feeling I had hit the jackpot when the person paying for their groceries in front of me refused their stamps and graciously said, “Give them to her.”  Are you joking, of course I want your stamps. 

The joy of S&H Green Stamps was the feeling of accomplishment that accompanied filling up a book and then ultimately redeeming the books for goods at the local S&H Green Stamp store.  Eagerly looking through the catalog finding that special item you longed for and then the goal of saving the stamps to get it.  I long for those days; I tend to think life was simpler when S&H Green Stamps were around. 

Although at times the stamps were a nuisance.  I mean they did require you to lick each stamp, which was discussing now that I think about it.  And some people didn’t see the value in the hassle of keeping them.   And then there was the time element, some people didn’t want to wait to collect the stamps needed to get what they wanted.  Your allotment of stamps was dependent upon how much money you spent at the grocery store. 

Even though the stamps had an ultimate reward, they required you to do something to get the reward.  In my pastor’s minds eye; I can see the parallel of God in S&H Green Stamps. 

We all have the same choice to receive God or not.  Some of us strategically hunted out stores that offered the stamps, much like many of us who strategically hunt for God; to see Him, to hear Him, to share Him with others because we know the ultimate reward is worth the work and the wait. 

Sure living for God requires us to “lick the stamps”, aka good works, deeds, prayer, walking in faith and love; but we long for the hitting the jackpot feeling that accompanies carrying out His plan in our lives, communities and people’s lives.
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