Upgrade

It started with the rental car. “Would you like to upgrade to a convertible at no extra cost?” Ummm...YES PLEASE!

We were on the North American pilgrimage to Florida in July 2008 (yes, July, and yes, it was stinking hot!). The girls had just completed grade 8 and grade 6 and we thought it was time for a long awaited family trip to Disney.

The car was just the beginning. My brother-in-law and his wife had given us their time share for the week, which, in itself was a tremendous gift. When we arrived to check in, the woman at the front desk kindly informed us we were getting a unit in a new building a few blocks away. So… off we went. Where to start? Granite countertops, two very well appointed bathrooms, and a king size bed we all curled up in to watch Dirty Jobs after a day traipsing about in the heat on Main Street.

And that’s not all. The icing on the cake came the first day we entered the gates at the park. We were simply in the right place at the right time and were given lanyards with fastpasses on them. This meant no waiting in tiresome lineups. What a bonus!

All of these upgrades were unexpected and free of charge, which made us appreciate them all the more. We felt like VIP’s.

These memories came flooding back when I recently read a comment in a She Reads Truth post.* “Churchmouse” wrote “...we get a glorious upgrade in Christ!”. How very true!

Lonely to befriended.

Humdrum to vibrant.

Wandering to grounded.

Polluted to purified.

Common to noble.

Hope upon hope upon hope…!

So much about Jesus is unexpected. The circumstances around His birth...His up-side-down world view...The sheer strength of His love. He caught the world off-guard in the most splendid way.

And He comes to each of us in a delightful surprise, offering an upgraded life free of charge. Ummm…. YES PLEASE! I am unspeakably grateful to be the ultimate VIP through Christ.

* She Reads Truth is an app that contains a variety of devotional plans to choose from that are either free or a few dollars each. (Fellas, there’s a He Reads Truth app as well!). The plans vary in duration, up to about 28 days. Each day's offering includes scripture, a reflection, and then a space for readers to comment. Some plans even have weekly podcast episodes to expand on the experience. I highly recommend you check it out. It’s been a game-changer for me! I’d love to hear what you think!