Half Off

It was a joyful Sunday morning. A day of celebration. A day of remembrance. A day of thanksgiving. Easter Sunday. Knowing we serve a risen Lord was certainly cause for celebration and you could sense the excitement. There were greetings filled with rejoicing, new outfits donned in honor of this day, and baskets chock full of candy and prizes that eager kids couldn't wait to get their hands on.

But the day after Easter rolled around and I just knew...the stores would have everything half off. The stuff I paid full price for just two days earlier would now be marked down by at least 50%. (except Target which felt 30% off was sufficient - what is this about?! You're a "Super Target" now so you don't have to offer a real sale?!)

I admit. I've always been a sucker for Cadbury eggs. I guess you either love 'em or hate 'em. In my case, I can't wait for Valentine's Day to be over because these and the Reeses peanut butter eggs are usually the first to make their appearance announcing that Easter is coming. I made sure to grab a few of each.

I'm not really a jelly bean kind of person, although there are new brands like Starburst and Jolly Rancher that I will eat if they're put before me, but this bag that was once 1.97 was now discounted to under a dollar. Of course I needed some.

I never really cared for malt balls but the speckled Robin eggs were beckoning me. They're just so colorful and I justified the mini ones are easier to consume. And a bag of those made it into my basket.

There were packages of Fun Dip - remember that with the powdered sugar and a candy stick you lick and dip? 20 pouches marked down to only $2. That's only .10 each! How could I resist?

Adding to this shopping frenzy were the dozens of people crowded around me, rummaging through unsorted boxes of candy and random displays now filled with things that didn't belong. We were all making sure we got the best deals. It was almost like an unspoken competition.

The truth is, I enjoy chocolate but I can have a bowl full of candy sitting out for weeks and may only consume a few pieces. It's April and I'm pretty sure I still have a few remnants from Christmas. (I know...I need to just throw them away...) So why was I a part of this madness to purchase half price candy that undoubtedly I don't need and probably won't eat?

In this particular case, I'm proud to say I put it all back - save for a few Cadbury and Reeses peanut butter eggs. I'll eat those for sure. But I realized I didn't need the rest.

And now you're wondering is this just a random blog about my fleeting moment of self control or could I possibly find some spiritual application in this craziness?!

Here's where we're going. Nothing had changed. Not the packaging, not the contents. It was all the same stuff that had now lost it's value simply with the passing of a day.

And then it hit me. Has my joy been reduced? Have I discounted my excitement? Has my celebration been marked down? Just because Easter has come and gone, do I value the cross of Christ and the price He paid any less than the day I put on my Easter best and raised my hands to worship my risen Savior?

Easter has come and gone. We celebrated. We worshipped. We dressed our best. We praised and thanked Him for His sacrifice and our salvation. But the cross hasn't lost its value. Our salvation has not been discounted. Nothing about our relationship with the Lord has been reduced. We were bought with a price. And NOTHING about that was half price. He paid it ALL. The full debt of your sin and my sin. So today - everyday - we must live and serve and give Him our FULL lives. No discounts. No reductions. I owe Him my all.