The $4 Orange Juice

Just this past week I was given the opportunity to stay at a Resort on the beach at a reduced rate and partially funded deal by the auto auction I was attending. It was magnificent, to say the least, as I had a 7th floor room overlooking the ocean, and all the amenities that go with first class treatment. I could open the sliding doors and hear the tide rolling in, how awesome!

The other luxuries included a parking deck on the same level as my room, a spacious kitchenette and dining area, a screened in parking lot (no bugs allowed), and a motion sensor door coming from the parking lot that always makes toting your luggage easier. Two very large pools, three restaurants, a private beach and two different kinds of soap that was derived from vegetable sources. They virtually think of everything to make you feel cared for.

I decided to eat breakfast at the cafe and to my surprise, a small glass of orange juice was $4. What made me think of this is that a much lesser hotel I stayed at last night offered free OJ which I gladly took seconds this morning to somehow make up for the over priced one yesterday. I guess it evens out.

While drinking that free, and just as tasty OJ I thought about the old adage, "you get what you pay for". Then I remembered that the $4 OJ wasn't for that single glass, but for all the other benefits that go with being given first class treatment. And that my friends, reminded me of Jesus.

While staggering around in my lost drunken life prior to coming to him, I thought I could buy my way into happiness through every other means other than finding God. Things came easy for awhile as I could talk my way into and out of anything, that is, until the bill came due. Then I would avoid at any means paying it until life just got way way out of control. That's when I checked into the ultimate resort, the Kingdom.

You see, Jesus paid an exhorbatant price for us to be free, to be loved and to receive all the benefits of eternal happiness. On paper, it looks like he over paid for us. But when you get to know him, take advantage of his blessings, you see that he wants the very best for us, and every day he gives us another $4 glass of OJ in his abundance of grace.

You get what you pay for, and what we got from the Lord is way more than we deserve!