Loving Sacrifice

by Joey Davis

He had come straight from work. Because he docs manual labor, his face, hands, and clothes looked like a Picasso painting done entirely in oil . . . motor oil.

It was his sister's birthday. Because she is a special sister, it was a special day and he wanted to do something special for her. So on the way home, he stopped and got her a bouquet of white wildflowers. . . her favorite.

He then cleaned up for" dinner and sat across from his sister during the evening meal. The conversation was lively and this large family greatly enjoyed sharing this special occasion.

As the conversation rolled around to this young man, he began telling about how the UPS strike had affected him directly. Everyone had a story or joke to tell about UPS and now it was his turn. Because of the strike, he hadn't been paid by his employer in two weeks. He complained that he was flat busted and hoped his paycheck would show up soon.

Upon hearing this, his sister then asked. "if you're broke, where did those flowers come from? Did you steal them?" Now, before you get too tough on the sister, the plain fact about her little brother is that he's got a large sack full of regrets. Although he has a good heart, temptation frequently gets the best of him. So, the idea that he may have gotten these flowers on the "five-finger discount plan" was of the question. However his answer to her question and her response to the answer are the real stories.

When his sister's rather bold accusation finally registered in his brain, he looked shocked. How dare she ask such a question! His response, . . "steal them, no I didn't steal them. I just didn't eat lunch today so that I could buy you some flowers." He had given her his last dime.

Suddenly those little blooms had taken on an entirely new dimension. They represented a loving sacrifice. When she got home that evening, she took this small bouquet of inexpensive white wildflowers and placed them in her most expensive crystal vase. To her, although the vase is expensive, the little white flowers that it contains are priceless. .

. . . Loving sacrifice is a major theme of the Bible. When Jesus' disciples were battling over who should be the "number two" man under Jesus' reign. He taught them that the greatest person of all is the one who chooses loving sacrifice as his way of life ( Luke 22).

Jesus came into this world and was treated like a criminal. He hung on a Roman cross so that He could nail the door to hell shut for all who believe and obey. He gave up all He had to come to earth, then gave us all He had to assure that we' would someday make the return trip with Him.

His gift is one that we can pass on to others. The price for our salvation was expensive. The hope it contains is priceless.