Jackpot

The big yet not consequential news today is the half billion dollar lottery jackpot that has millions of people rushing out to the store to buy a ticket or two or ten in the hope, however slim, that they might win a fortune. For the interested, one can pick up a ticket in one of 42 states or the District of Columbia for a 1 in 176,000,000 chance at winning (according to NPR a math professor has calculated that the odds of being struck by lightning are fifty times greater).

So let's say one plays. And one wins. Life would be different, no? No more financial worries. No more bills to pay. Yet there'd still be stress and anxiety and cause for concern: Who to help. What to do about those pesky relations seeking a handout or a new house. Choosing an investment advisor. Setting priorities. Avoiding fights with friends and family. Life might be more materially comfortable, but it would still have the room for plenty of pain, disappointment, and anomie.

Which brings us to Lent.

In Lent we are encouraged to see things differently. And as we repent and reflect and refresh and renew, we will hopefully realize we've each already struck the lottery. That's right: we've each won. We've each hit it big. The Creator of the Universe has chosen to love each and every one of us. And as a sign of that love, God came to us in Jesus and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, which can transform our lives in ways that even $540,000,000 cannot. That may sound glib, but it's true. So think about it. Think about how winning God's lottery has changed, is changing and can continue to change your life. Then, perhaps, help someone else see the same thing. Do this and you'll feel like you've hit the jackpot.

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