one ticket

When I was young, growing up in the northeast, we would occasionally go to a fair (carnival) or boardwalk amusement park by the ocean.  Of course this was great excitement.  The smell of popcorn, the sound of the crowd and the sight of flashing lights and whirling rides was intoxicating.  My father would buy a string of tickets and give an equal number to each of us three kids.  My first experience with budgeting came from carefully choosing how to spend those tickets on the rides I wanted to experience.  Once the tickets were used up...that would be the end of my fun!  It was agony knowing that there were too many rides available for the tickets we held.  So when I discovered places like Busch Gardens, here in Williamsburg, I was thrilled to find that once you bought one ticket to enter the park you could ride any ride and as much as you wanted.  The only limit was time...and there was such a thing as a season pass (we haven't done those yet!) that even gave you more time.  In a roughly similar way, I used to think that my price of acceptance in life was based on my hard work...my individual success and efforts...and that I was only as good as what I had accomplished.  Life seemed like an endless number of tickets that needed to be purchased and applied.  But when I was introduced to the love of Jesus I found One who had bought a ticket for me.  Yes the ticket had been purchased and was waiting for me to pick it up from Him.  Once I claimed my ticket I found that I could rest from worrying about buying tickets every day.  One had made a great payment so that I could enjoy the park in His company and I wouldn't even have to wait in line.

Hebrews 9:¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

blessings,

Rob Smith