“Where did you get that?” Mom would ask when we came home from school with something we didn’t take from home that morning.
“The teacher gave it to us. It was free!”
“Beta, there’s nothing free in this world.”
I heard this my whole life. For the most part, I have to agree. People rarely give you something entirely for free. But….
A couple years ago, our ’92 Camry was finally declared dangerous to drive. A fuel leak caused a constant threat of a car fire or explosion. In fact, the auto repair guy told us, ”All it takes is for you to be stopped at a red light, some guy in the next car tosses a cigarette butt your way, it rolls under your car, and KABOOM!” Yeah, we stopped driving it after that.
So we were down to one car again. Hubby debated biking to work, and did a couple of times. Then it rained. Plus, it couldn’t have been fun arriving at work [which was under three miles away] with sweaty pits. Just sayin.
Anyway, one evening, not even a week after we donated our car, a friend got wind of our situation and informed us of some good news. A mutual friend who had recently moved out of state left their ’94 Accord for a person in need. Wow! 1994! Now that was an upgrade. What was the catch? No catch. It was freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! And within a few weeks of dealing with the lovely and wonderful folks over at DMV [Right!?!], hubby had a working set of wheels to drive to work in. Yippee!
Last year, my brother-in-law sent me an email, the subject line, “Give a day, Get a day.” It offered a free day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom if you gave/volunteered one time. Businesses participated all over the country. It was worth a shot. I scrolled down and found a service project on Martin Luther King Jr. day that everyone except Sarah qualified for. She was still a little under three years old and the minimum age was six, Lydia’s age.
So as a family, we drove down to Harlem and spent the day having fun. We made flag pins for veterans, decorated pillows for homeless shelters, wrote letters and made cards for kids in war-torn countries, ate pizza and watched a step show. It seemed too easy.
Then six month later, we walked into Disney. For freeeeeeeeeee! And the icing on the cake: Sarah was a week shy of turning three and all kids under get into Disney for freeeeeeeeeee! Now that’s my kind of Magic!
This past Christmas, we decided to tone down the gift-giving side of festivities. We wanted to pay off some pending debts before acquiring more debts. We told the kids that we’d get them one nice thing and the rest of their gifts would come from others, family, friends, etc. Not the easiest conversation when you live on Long Island and you know that most of your kids’ friends are raking in the presents, especially during the holidays.
Then one day, a week before Christmas I received a phone call from a woman at the Boys and Girls club. They wanted to give the girls gift certificates for Dick’s Sporting Goods. My immediate reaction was, “Isn’t there anyone else who could use it? Give it to the really needy families first. We’re fine.”
The woman on the phone responded, “We already covered those families. We have some extra. We love your family and the girls. Plus it’s our small way of saying thanks to you and your husband for coaching.”
I was already in tears. “Uhhhh. Okay. Are you sure? We love coaching. You don’t have to thank us.”
“We want to.”
“Okay. I guess if you insist. Thank you so much. Did you say the gift card was for $100?”
“Yes. Each of them gets a $100 gift card.”
“What? We don’t need all three.”
“That’s how it works. All the families we chose get one per child in the family that attends the club.”
I choked out a “Thank you. Thank you so much” through my sobbing. This kind of stuff always gets me.
I think our girls were pretty shocked to open up brand new NorthFace hoody jackets when they unwrapped their gifts. I told them of the unexpected blessing that came our way and to enjoy them. We received them for freeeeeeeeeeeeee.
As I reflect on the amazing things that have come my way for free, and I think of how much resistance I put up at receiving something not earned or paid for by me, I know it’s because I don’t want to come across as taking a hand out. I didn’t deserve any of it.
I think most of us have a grain of that in us. We find it difficult to accept things that are free. Even if you’re a cheapie like me, you feel like when someone offers you something for free, maybe you could at least offer the person a little money, a trade, or at least a piece of chocolate cake. When someone brings you a box of freshly made cookies. Return the container with candy. When your neighbor shovels your steps. You rake their yard. But, don’t steal their leaves. We have a natural desire to pay for what we get. To simply accept something and only say the words, “Thank You,” just doesn’t seem adequate, appropriate, or fair.
Generally speaking, in the human economy, I think this rule of thumb applies. When you get something. You should give something.
With one exception.
Grace.
The definition of grace is simply this: “When you get something you don’t deserve.”
Coming from a mess like myself, I simply cannot imagine my life without Grace. Specifically, God’s Grace.
That’s what Easter is about. The Cross. All this talk about Jesus dying for you. And for me. A simple message. A simple truth. A simple complexity, if you ask me. How can a perfect God bridge the gap between himself and his broken children? And why would this God offer his son’s life in order to build that bridge? I guess that’s why it’s called “Amazing.”
Amazing Grace.How sweet the sound.
That saved a waterfall of a mess like me.And with open arms, he asks me daily if I want this. This love. This acceptance. This grace.
No questions. Unless you count him asking you to believe him when he says he loves you that much.
No trade. Unless you count giving him your broken heart for a whole one.
No catch. Unless you count being caught in arms that will love and hold you for eternity.
The price:
For Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Happy Easter All!
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“My Easter Playlist”
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“Cheaper by the Super Dealio”
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IF you LIKED this POST, you MIGHT also LIKE:
“My Easter Playlist”
or
“Cheaper by the Super Dealio”
or
“He Loves Me, He Loves Me, He Loves Me…”
Awww! Thanks Caitlin!! Happy Easter!! 🙂
This is so great, and so true! I really love the last few lines!