(Drum roll!) The winner of the book give-away is Betty Colson. Thank you so much to everyone who put their name in to try to win Peaceful Moments to Begin Your Day by Grace Fox. I hope the rest of you will buy/order your own copy. I know you’ll love it!

I purchased an item from a catalog company and it was defective. I procrastinated about contacting the company because I needed some code from them to send it back–according to their instructions. Finally, I decided I really wanted the item and would call them. Since I didn’t see any postage on the return label, I was a little miffed. I didn’t think I should have to pay for the return postage but figured I might have to. “Not fair!” I thought!

So I called. The young man was quite cordial and took the information. Then said, “We will send you out a new one; you can do whatever you want with the broken item.”

I was surprised and exclaimed, “You mean I don’t have to send it back in?”

He chuckled, “No, we’re not any good at fixing things here.”

I thought that was cute and since he’d been so nice, I asked, “Do you have a supervisor? I’d like to give you a commendation.”

He chuckled again, “Well, no, that’s not necessary, I get all the glory I need.”

Now he really had me intrigued, but for once, I thought of something for a reply and said, “Well, as long as you get your glory from Jesus, that will last for eternity.”

Now I think I stumped him because he gave a non-commital answer—not really negative but not positive either.

Of course, I tried to find a spiritual connection with all this. And it’s three-fold:

1. When we hesitate coming to Jesus about anything for whatever reason, we usually imagine the worse scenario. But when we “reach” Him and ask for His help—it’s free and He’s receptive.

2. God makes us new creatures, He doesn’t just fix up the old person. Although there is the lingering old nature supplying lots of temptation, He has made us a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have our new man within us motivating us to holiness and goodness. Before we had to come up with it ourselves but now it can be naturally-driven from the inside out.

3. Glory! I’d like to be like that guy on the phone who thinks he has all the glory he needs. Oh, to release the need to be lifted up and instead want Jesus lifted up. And to be willing to let God humble me so that He can lift me up (if ever) at His discretion (James 4:10).

Well, I’m looking forward to getting my hopefully-working item in the mail. It turned out to be a much easier event than I anticipated.