Free ticket anyone?

This morning Jesse, Laura and I went to a REI "garage sale". This is an outdoors/camping store that re-sells their returned merchandise for 80%-90% off retail value! Great deal, huh? So we arrive 20 minutes early (thinking that we were plenty early) only to be greeted by a long line of customers already perched and ready to make a clean sweep of everything that they think they can not live without. So we jumped in at the end of the line as an anouncement was being made: "Everybody with REI membership and those who where lucky enough to recieve a free ticket will be able to enter 10 minutes before everyone else." Who knew so many people were excited to buy used and recycled stuff; you would have thought that each one had hit the jackpot according to the urgency of their "need" to reach the merchandise before anyone else discovered their "hidden treasures".

This scene made me think a bit deeper about the situation that was unfolding before my eyes. It actually makes for a pretty interesting analogy between this REI garage sale and salvation (this may be a stretch, but just go with me). It also made me question, "If people can get so excited about a free ticket for second hand merchandise, why can they not get just as excited about a "free ticket" to heaven?" This morning, the individuals who where allowed to enter the garage sale (heaven) first where those with a membership card (believers in Jesus Christ/Christians) and those with the free tickets that were just handed out earlier this morning (believers who just recieved Jesus Christ into their hearts). And these passes just get them to a "second-best/used/returned" arena. As humans, often we settle for second best because we are not aware of the riches God has to offer. For the same low price (free) Jesus offers us a "free ticket" (salvation) to heaven for all those who accept Him as their savior and believe that He died on the cross for his/her sins (after which you gain your membership card). And this ticket is your free pass to "The party of the Century" where nothing is second best, but everything is PERFECT!

Stephanie