My local grocery store passes out little “Buddy Bucks” to the kids whenever we are in the checkout line. The kids can use these bucks to play a game located at the exit of the store. The game spins a big wheel, and when the kids push a button, the wheel slowly comes to a stop. Whatever number—from 1- 50— the wheel lands on, a sticker of the number comes out of the machine. The numbered stickers represent points.
We then collect these stickers in books that the store provides. When we save up a certain amount of points, we can get something from the catalog. We have been collecting these points as a family since my oldest was a one-year-old—about 10 years ago. One day, I will have to turn these sticker books in, and a beautiful chapter of my life will close.
As I was doing laundry, I noticed one of these stickers on top of the washer machine. These stickers tend to get all over the place—in the house, in the car, in my purse—and I’m always gathering them up into a small bag that is saved for the kids. I saw the sticker, and it was only 1 point. It wasn’t a 10, 20 or 50-point sticker, and I was tempted to just throw it away.
As I contemplated whether or not I wanted to make a trip downstairs just for one sticker or simply trash it, I thought of the lost lamb in one of Jesus’ parables.
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4 NIV).
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and He places a high value on each of us. He wants nothing more than to bring each of us back into the fold of His love, purpose and grace. He aggressively chases us because of His passion for His creation. He would not only walk down the stairs for us, He would walk into the grave in order to ensure our place with Him in heaven.
With this thought in mind, I quickly grabbed the little sticker and brought it downstairs and joined it with the rest of its fellow stickers. Now it has worth because someone has seen it as valuable.
Memory Verse:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Prayer Prompt:
“Father, thank You for coming back for me. Thank You for dying for me and taking my sin with You. You came back back to life, and left my sin in the grave. Because of You, I can live in heaven forever with God…”
Contributing Writer:
Alisa Hope Wagner
Faith Imagined.com
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