Exact Change

I was pissed off! I had been in line at a local fast food place for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably five minutes.   I had paid for my order and was having to wait for my change.  What was the hold up!  I was late to work and had a pile of stuff to do on my desk.   I hit the steering wheel  in a show of disgust.  It must of dislodged something in my brain, because I finally thought beyond my frustration..  My change, that amount I was waiting impatiently for, was a whole 7 cents!  I was sitting here, food getting cold, wasting all this anger on a measly 7 cents!  What an idiot!


I shook my head and gunned my car out of line and into my lane.  Waiting on change!   I had never really thought about it before.  How much of my life had I spent waiting on change.   The more I thought about this, I realized it was not always change in the monetary sense, but change none the less.  Doing a job over and above what was expected, and then waiting to get my due, the praise I deserved.   Then when it was not forthcoming, getting angry, even though I was being paid more than enough for what I did.  Giving a gift to someone with that ever so slight thought, in the back of my mind, what they might give me in return?  Doing something special at church, trying not to look for the pat on the back, but enjoying it just the same when it came.


Why can't we live life in a "keep the change" mentality?  Instead of thinking what is due us, we think of what we can give and give it generously - no strings attached.  This may seem a bit trite, in light of Easter, but what if Jesus had thought the way we do.  What if He gave His life, then calculated how much that gift was worth? Put a price on it.  And then expecting some return on that life giving sacrifice.  What if He sat there with His hand out, expecting you and I to live up to that kind of gift.  But no!  On the cross, He said "I have paid your bill and you can keep the change".  Kind of a silly way of putting it, but you get what I mean..


And in light of his great sacrifice, why doesn't that translate to extravagant giving on my part. The recipient of that over the top grace. Right this minute, I feel a lot like the man in the parable who was forgiven an enormous debt and then hunted down someone who owed him a couple of dollars. To throw him in jail.  What a jerk!


I don't know about you, but I feel a bit bummed right now....