What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately
How Much is Your Dirt
"How much is your dirt?" That was the question I heard from the other end of the phone when I answered, "Hello, this is Jennifer." "Jennifer, (spoken with a thick country accent) how much is your dirt?" I hesitated at first, thinking this was a crank call that would not end well no matter how I answered. So, instead of trying to second guess the very odd caller and his equally odd question, I said, "I think you have the wrong number." He insisted, "No, your number is on this pile of dirt."
At this point, I started thinking of people I know who would do something like this to me as a joke. I thought of my friend Chris. "This is something he would do," I thought. He would find someone to fake a really backwoods country accent and give them $20 just to call me with such an outrageous question. So again, I thought, "No matter what I say, this just won't end well!"
I decided not to try to be clever with my response, and instead told him again that I thought he had the wrong number. His voice became just a bit perturbed and said, "I'm looking at it right now." "Can you read it to me?" I asked. With a tone of voice that said, "I can't believe this woman is giving me such a hard time," he slowly read each number to me. All the numbers were correct until the second to the last one. Whew! "It wasn't a crank call," I thought. "It's just a country man who has trouble dialing a phone and really wants to buy some dirt!" I told him his mistake and he apologized and hung up.
No one has ever been that insistent on buying my dirt before...except for One. That is what Jesus did for me. He bought my dirt. And He continues to buy my dirt each time I get soiled, stained and messy. This city girl can't imagine anyone paying good money for a pile of dirt, but the man on my phone was willing to. Even more amazing is that Jesus is willing to, but the currency he uses is far more valuable than mere money.
"...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19 (NASV)
You are so valuable to God that He was willing to pay the ultimate price for your dirt. That's amazing love!
Well, that's what's been percolating in me lately.
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