What is the Value?

This is a guest post by Terri Geisel.  If you enjoy her post, please thank her by visiting her Prayer and Worship Music site.

When to say When!

Saturday morning I headed out for caffeine and a few treats, before starting a busy day working on my music.  As I pulled up to the local bakery, a few nagging thoughts jumped to mind. First, I had received stale baked goods from this place in the past, and second, I really didn’t want to spend the extra money considering the pastries were $2.25 each.  Visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, however, made my sweet tooth win out.

My strategy, as I entered the shop, was to be very specific with the cashier about which items I wanted, thereby insuring freshness.  From behind the counter, she boxed up the pastries and announced the total.  Reaching for my wallet, I thought, “Wow, including my cappuccino, this is the  same cost as my CD.  And THIS will be consumed in about 15 minutes, totally gone!”  Then I thought, “At least, this time, I’m getting fresh pastries.”

Or so I thought.  When I got to my car and opened the box, there lay two old crusty, dried-up pastries and no sign of “fresh”!  I couldn’t believe it. I was ready to rush back into the store when I suddenly had a thought to stop and pray.  Anger wouldn’t accomplish anything and I truly wanted to be a good witness for Christ in this situation.

I felt the Lord tell me to wait until the customers left, then return and offer to buy another pastry.  A surprised cashier looked up when I entered the shop.  I explained that I wanted to buy a Fresh pastry this time.  That unfortunately, the previous ones, were not.

Immediately she began to insist that all the baked goods in the store were fresh, reaching for one to prove her point.  I turned and left the store, returning with the offending box of rocks.  We then compared. Huge, fresh and creamy vs. small, burnt and stale. I told her this had happened to me several times before and she admitted that they were indeed, told to sell all the old pastries first.  She apologized profusely as she tucked the pastry into my box, stating it was free of charge.

I thanked her and headed home.  I thanked the Lord that He always handles things in such caring ways, and for the giftings that He places in us.  His gifts are eternal treasures.

I rediscovered the value of a dollar in these tough, economic times, but more than that I remembered how quickly the temporal evaporates,  but the eternal blesses on and on.

Isaiah 55:1,2 “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. You who have no money, come buy and eat….Why do you spend money for what does not satisfy…delight yourself in My Abundance.”

There are some really great nuggets in this piece from Terri.  What she didn’t mention in the article is that she initially insisted on paying for the fresh (additional) pastry.  It was only after the clerk refused to take her money that she received it as complimentary.  Sometimes we can certainly get things free by being pushy, but isn’t it better when we honor God and then we see how He has blessed us?

Terri is a Pianist and a Worshiper and has recently released an Instrumental Piano Worship Album.  The CD is available for download from her website and even includes one free song.