9/12/2010

Daydreaming in church again

I have always had a tendency to daydream in church, and when everything is in French the temptation is even greater. It is a bad habit, but today God used it. As we were singing, and I'm pretty sure I was even singing along, my mind drifted to money. Yesterday I was at a festival where whine, cheese, sausage, jelly, fois gras, and you-name-it were being sold, sometimes at high prices. Like 20 dollars for a big sausage. Yes, they were quality products, but that seemed excessive to me. As I reflected I realized that I had almost- not quite, but almost- started to forget the value of money. Whenever I see a $10 bill I want to instantly envision an hour and a half of flipping greasy hamburgers, or picking strawberries in the blazing sun. I don't ever want to lose that association because otherwise a piece of paper is too easy to part with.

As I was thinking about this, I suddenly realized what we were singing- "Je ne saurai jamais le prix pour tout ce que tu as subis." In the English version the lines go "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon the cross..." The French version would be translated "I will never know the price of everything that You suffered." That jolted me considerably. If an hour and a half of sweat and discomfort is the "price" for $10, what is the price of salvation and eternal life? Jesus paid dearly for my life. In addition to completely unimaginable physical and emotional anguish, He suffered rejection by God so that I never have to. How will I spend the life that He bought me?

1 comment:

C.A.S. said...

Wow.... What insight. Thank you, John, for being the insightful person you are. I agree; too often we forget, especially in the abundance that America provides, the cost of the life that we live. I get upset when people don't understand the reason for and the true cost of war to sustain our earthly freedom. How much more was paid for our eternal freedom? Thank you... :)