With about twenty minutes to spare before I needed to leave for class, I jumped in the shower and lathered up.  The door bell rang at that very moment.  Aspen ran to the bathroom and said, “I’ll get the door Mommy.”  Having a vivid imagination, I quickly told her not to answer the door, but to run downstairs and get her older brother, who is home from college for summer break.

Colby opened the front door and greeted an employee from the electric company.  He dutifully informed Colby that unless we paid the bill, our electricity would be turned off!. Colby yelled through the bathroom door explaining the situation and asked me what he should do.  I groaned in exasperation, Brett had forgotten to pay the electric bill (again).  I told Colby to take my card, conveniently in his wallet from a previous trip to the grocery store, and pay it.  When Colby presented the card, the electric company employee stated that while he could take a bank card he preferred a check.  He explained that it was a complicated process to pay with a bank card.  He gave Colby a piece of paper with a number we could call and pay before an hour was up or he would return to shut off the electricity.

I called the number and paid the bill.  It was so simple, the money was in the bank, Brett had just forgotten to pay.  We would still be able to run the dish washer, blow dry our hair, and throw ice cubes in our morning smoothies.

Jesus died for my sins. My forgiveness is in the bank.  But, sometimes I seem to forget that it’s there and live as if my spiritual bank account is empty.  My faith occasionally seems to hover at just above zero and there are days that my love, joy, peace, kindness and goodness seem to have a negative balance.

Jesus died for my sins.  My forgiveness is in the bank. God’s gifts are waiting to be used.  I have every right to live like I am forgiven and accepted into the family of God.  As a member of the family of God, I have the opportunity to go to the family bank account and accept His gifts of forgiveness, faith,hope, love, joy, peace, kindness and goodness, just to name a few.  God has so much of it all, I’ll never run out!  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13)