Consolation Prize

I've been thinking about gifts lately.

Miss America.
The winner gets a crown,
a really big bouquet of roses,
a nice contract,
and lots of great prizes.
The runner up gets a small bouquet,
the gratitude of the network for helping increase ratings,
and the distinction of being almost good enough to be the best.
Consolation prizes.

Super Bowl.
The winners get a great big trophy,
a really nice ring,
lots of money and contracts.
The second best team in the nation
gets tagged as losers.
They get a little money,
some may get a contract or two
playing on their status as losers.
Consolation prizes.

TV game shows.
The winners take home a lot of stuff.
Worth a lot of money.
Losers take home a "Thank-you-for-playing" gift
worth $2.95.
Consolation prizes.

Lottery.
Winners line their wallets with cash.
Losers have confetti from the shred bin.
Consolation prizes.

In other words,
people who don't get what they want,
who lose something they planned to win or keep,
get a "good enough" settlement.
Something that is better than nothing at all.
A consolation prize.

When my Al died,
I didn't think I would ever be happy again.
Then I feel in love and,
in the midst of my sorrow,
found a nugget of happiness.
Then more sorrow.
And happiness was again elusive.

I spent a lot of time talking to God
about taking my prize from me.
Not once, but twice.
I didn't understand.
I tried to find that nugget again
and failed miserably.
And God spoke.
"Be still and wait."
And so I did.
And finally, He said, "Now!"
And my Lanny Love.
Who is no consolation prize!
He is winning Miss America AND Miss Universe!
He is winning back-to-back Super Bowls!
He is buying the winning lottery ticket twice!
He is winning ALL the prizes on two game shows!
He is an amazing and wonderful gift from God.

And it has made me think.
Sometimes the Christian life is hard.
Sometimes it is costly.
Sometimes we have to give up things that,
in the eyes of the world in which we live,
are extremely valuable!
A friend.
A job.
A promotion.
A place.
A thing.
A spouse in death.
And, sometimes, even our own physical life.

But these things,
these expensive, precious things to which we cling,
these things are the consolation prize!
They are gifts God gives -
and takes away -
on our journey to get the real deal!

Picture it.
Judgment Day.
God looking in the Book of Life.
Seeing your name written down.
Saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"
Jesus, with love in His eyes,
placing a crown on your head,
wrapping you in His arms,
saying, "Welcome Home, my brother/sister!"

The race is hard!
There will be sweat!
Your heart will pound!
Your muscles will ache!
You will sometimes be short of breath!
Sometimes the path will be easy,
but sometimes it will be excrutiatingly difficult.
But when you cross that finish line as the winner,
it will have been worth it all!

Don't settle for the pleasures of this world
in place of the glory in eternity!
Don't settle for the consolation prize!
Run the race to win!
For great will be the reward!

But as it is written in the Scriptures:

"No one has ever seen this,

and no one has ever heard about it.

No one has ever imagined

what God has prepared for those

who love Him."

                                                                  ~~ I Corinthians 2:9 NCV ~~

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~