I guess I’m looking particularly chipper here at Starbucks this morning. I just ran into a friend and he jokingly asked me if I’d won the lottery.
“Actually, I have!” I said. “In fact, I’ve won the lottery three times.”
“Wow! No kidding!”
“Yep. I won the lottery when I became a Christian, when I married my wife, and when I was born in the United States!”
He laughed. “That is a great line. Can I use it with my wife?”
“Sure,” I said.
In reality, while that may be a great “line,” it’s actually true. No literal lottery, no matter how massive, could ever come close to the blessings I have received from those three “lotteries” in my life. Here’s why:
- “Lottery” Number One – I’m a Christian –My sins are forgiven and I’m going to heaven. I know this because I’ve accepted God’s gift of forgiveness as described in the Bible and I’ve placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my savior. I’m a child of the living God. His Spirit lives in me and has guided, empowered, enlightened and protected me for fifty-five years now. Soon, I’ll see Jesus face to face, at which time I will be like him, holy and glorified in his presence. I’ll live with him in overwhelming joy forever and ever in an immortal body with fellow believers, enjoying the presence of an infinitely creative, intelligent, holy, good and loving God.
- “Lottery” Number Two – I married my wife– I think the best way to describe being married to my wife these past thirty-nine years is “seamless oneness.” She fits the contours of my soul hand in glove. When I was a young man sensing God’s call into ministry, I prayed that God wouldn’t show me whom to marry until after I graduated from seminary. I didn’t think going through college and graduate school was the best time to start a marriage. God answered that prayer spectacularly when I met Patti a few months after graduating from Dallas Seminary. It was as if the Lord had custom made her for me. That beautiful, godly, intelligent, loving, and compassionate woman with an amazing work ethic became my wife and has supported me and my ministry from day one.
- “Lottery” Number Three – I was born in the United States – I love my country, warts and all. While we still struggle with inequality and injustice, America is the most free and most prosperous nation the world has ever known. As a result, I have had the freedom to practice my faith without fear and to pursue education and employment without interference. It also doesn’t hurt that I live in the beautiful state of Colorado!
Of course, this blog is read around the world, so not all of you live in the U.S. And not all of you have great marriages, or are married at all. But there is one “lottery” you can win, if you haven’t yet.
And that is the greatest “lottery” of all.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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