Pastor's wife: A debt I could not pay

Dawn Reed

When all hope was lost, God sent Jesus, His perfect Son, to save us, to pay that impossible debt by shedding His blood for us.”

Just before Easter, I needed three $10 coffee store gift cards for my great-nieces. Having already purchased cute cards, I wanted to get them in the mail ASAP.

In the supermarket, at the gift card display, I saw Bob from church. We chitchatted as I searched for the $10 cards, telling him they were for my great-nieces, I love them, and they would be so excited, blah, blah, blah. I grabbed three, then headed to check out.

The nice cashier rang them up for $120. Holy Moly! In my haste, I hadn’t realized each one was a four-pack of $10 cards. I had indeed – unknowingly – handed her $120 in coffee cards.

“Oh, no ma’am. I am so sorry,” I gushed. “That is my mistake. I don’t want those. I’m so sorry,” I said again. (I love my nieces, but cannot spend that much for their coffee.) Bob had seen it all.

This wasn’t the only time I had been embarrassed at the checkout. My mind flashed back to the past.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been at the cash register when your purchases total more than what you have in your wallet, when the math does not add up, when the cost is more than you can pay. It’s a tough spot. Oh, the heartbreak of putting back groceries you can’t afford. You must quickly decide, right there in front of everyone, what is essential and what is not, counting backward to the money you have in hand. Those behind you feel extremely awkward. The cashier is embarrassed for you. Head down, trying not to cry, you hurry to the car.

Years ago, my beloved and I were struggling financially. We couldn’t make ends meet. Not even close. Living in a house we couldn’t afford with two young children and stress building by the minute, we were floundering. We had debts we could not pay. We were in slavery to debt and needed a miracle. That’s when God stepped in. He rescued us. He made a way out, delivering us as surely as the Israelites from Egypt.

That was not our greatest deliverance.

Because of our sin, we had a greater debt we could not pay. Romans 3:23 reports that we are all sinners. Romans 6:23 tells that the payment/wage for that sin is death. When all hope was lost, God sent Jesus, His perfect Son, to save us, to pay that impossible debt by shedding His blood for us. Colossians 2:14 (CEB): “He destroyed the record of the debt we owed…He canceled it by nailing it to the cross.”

Zack Williams’ song “Chain Breaker” poignantly tells the story of deliverance. Jesus can still break the chains of sin, hopelessness, addiction, and heartache.

Easter is typically the season when we ponder the price Jesus paid for us. But I’m thinking July 4th is also a great time for reflection. We will wave flags, be patriotic, and speak of freedom. True freedom comes from Christ: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” John 8:36.

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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife, newspaper columnist, and the author of Weiner Stew: Inspiring Stories from Appalachia. Reach her at preacherswife7@yahoo.com.